The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) yesterday signed the Corporate Integrity Pledge, reaffirming its commitment to combating corruption and promoting transparency and accountability.
The signing ceremony, held in Harare yesterday, was overseen by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Zinara board members, led by chairperson Dr George Manyaya, chief executive officer Mr Nkosinathi Ncube and the Secretariat, pledged to play their role in preventing and fighting corruption.
Integrity pledges are social contracts through which individuals affirm their commitment to act against corruption.
ZACC chairperson Mr Michael Reza said, "Zinara becomes the first organisation to sign the Corporate Integrity Pledge, thereby building a legacy for itself."
He said as the primary institution responsible for financing road infrastructure development, Zinara holds the keys to the nation's economic arteries.
"Every dollar Zinara collects and allocates, every project approved, and every contract they oversee directly impacts the lives of millions of our citizens. Roads are more than mere strips of asphalt and concrete. They are the lifeline that connects communities, facilitates trade, enables access to education and healthcare, and drives economic growth. When managed with integrity, road funding transforms lives. When compromised by corruption, it can costs lives," Mr Reza said.
He said the corporate and individual integrity pledges that were signed were a binding moral and ethical commitment that would reshape the operational DNA of Zinara.
Dr Manyaya said Zinara is committed to upholding integrity and transparency in its operations.
"In the past, Zinara has faced significant challenges that have raised concerns about integrity, transparency and accountability. Issues related to mismanagement of funds, inadequate oversight, and questionable procurement practices have been prevalent in the public domain, casting a shadow over our integrity as highlighted in the External Forensic Audit Report by Grant Thornton in the past.
"As a new Board and Management team, we did not shy away from addressing the legacy issues raised in the Grant Thornton Report and the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Reports," he said
Dr Manyaya said they acknowledged these past shortcomings with humility and dutifully embarked on a journey to rectify them through a raft of robust measures.
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"We have undertaken a comprehensive review of our organisational and governance structures. We have established clear lines of accountability and designated specific roles within our organisation to ensure that integrity is not just a policy statement, but a practice embedded in our culture, embedded in the way we do business.
"It's a journey which we are now enjoying, and integrity and ethical conduct is a value that punctuates our decision-making processes. As Zinara, once we finalised on addressing historical deficiencies, we have placed emphasis on proactive corruption preventative measures and strengthening our systems to abate and prevent corruption," Dr Manyaya said.
He said as part of these initiatives, they have adopted various measures to prevent corruption.
A Corporate Integrity Pledge is a formal, public declaration of an organisation's commitment to uphold specific values, principles, and standards of behaviour such as integrity, transparency and accountability.
It is a statement of intent by an organisation to conduct business in a responsible and ethical manner and serves as a guiding framework for the organisation's behaviour, decision-making, and interactions with stakeholders.
