Corruption is one of the impediments to economic and social development in any country in the world.
The scourge needs to be nipped in the bud by dedicated people who have the nation at heart not few individuals who are merely after self-aggrandisement.
It is estimated that close to US$2 billion dollars are lost to corruption on a yearly basis.
The rampant and systematic corruption, permeating both the private and public sectors, has reached a crescendo.
The scourge ranges from petty bribery to grand corruption and if left unabated, can consume our beautiful country, a nation that used to be the breadbasket of Africa.
People have temerity to indulge in corrupt activities in the open, without fear of being arrested or prosecuted which leaves one to wonder the motives behind such.
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If corruption is not nipped in the bud as a matter of urgency, the chances of archieving an upper middle economy by 2030 will be slim by every year.
The economic cancer needs all sorts of interventions including political chemotherapy, radical radiotherapy and necessary surgery to eliminate the deep-sitting tumors where the cancer is spreading from.
There are many departments in Zimbabwe that are known to be seriously corrupt. It is common knowledge that for one to get a driver’s licence, one has to grease some officials in the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID).
The game still continues even today and at some centres, provisional licences cost between US80 to US$100 to acquire where VID officials will allocate seats to computers with pre-marked answers to those who will have paid.
Since the answers are already marked, it does not require one’s knowledge to pass.
This is happening in many VID centres in the country and imagine 20 examinees paying in one day!
Some people are carrying home more than US$2000 dollars as corruption proceeds.
This is surprising considering that we have a whole Transport ministry, which seems to fail to contain such corruption.
What surprises is the fact that victims of corruption actually know all those behind the corruption at such departments.
The supervisors seem untouchable but it is our prayer that one day, these people should be held accountable for their unethical practices.
There are many organisations that are in place to investigate corruption in the country and these include the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), Zimbabwe Republic Police and Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
We wonder if all these organisations are doing enough to combat corruption.
If the stolen wealth was to be put to good use, the country could drastically improve on public service hence raising the standards of living.
Public health service delivery is in doldrums with massive brain drain at the moment.
There is serious demotivation amongst workers where both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are totally absent.
Where are we heading to if we fail to improve our health delivery system?
The Lands ministry has been in the press for wrong reasons.
Corruption has taken centre stage in the allocation of land for a long time.
Recently, Seke, Chegutu, Zvimba districts were in the media for wrong reasons.
The level of corruption is so gross that one does not care about thousands of families which may be affected when they are evicted because someone just brought a fraudulent offer letter.
This publication ran a story about Warwick Farm near Lake Chivero which has close to 1 000 beneficiaries of the land reform programme.
The farm was said to have been gazetted by government in 2000 at the height of the land reformprogramme.
Today, the same beneficiaries, mainly the veterans of the liberation struggle face eviction over fraudulent change of ownership that took place in 2003, three years after beneficiaries of the land reform programme have settled at the farm.
A previously gazetted farm being changed to personal property and then evicting settlers who have been there for over 22 years, should call for Zacc to investigate how the farm was changed from state farm to private property.
I got relieved to hear that the case is now under Zacc radar and we are waiting to see how the issue is going to unfold.
If corruption is found, the culprits should be brought to book without fear and favour.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa should know there are many detractors in government departments who are bent on derailing national progress.
Heads should roll in many departments if sanity is to be restored.
Zacc should investigate all cases of corruption and the nation eagerly awaits results.
Corruption is one serious way of sabotaging the country.