Fighting corruption is top on the agenda of the Second Republic, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson, Mr Michael Reza, has said.
In a speech read on his behalf by Dr Onesmus Nyaude, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) co-ordinator for ZACC at the International Anti-Corruption Day celebrations in Harare yesterday, Mr Reza said the vision for a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society by 2030, with job opportunities and a high quality of life for the citizens, was anchored on, among other things, an aggressive fight against all forms of corruption.
The International Anti-Corruption Day is running under the theme, "Uniting with the Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity", which spotlights the importance of youth participation in the fight against corruption.
Mr Reza said Government alone cannot eradicate corruption.
He said the establishment of Chapter 13 institutions like the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and National Prosecuting Authority was only a part of the official mechanism to combat graft.
"Effective these institutions may be, they cannot fully eradicate the scourge without the support and trust of all parties concerned," Mr Reza said.
"Eradicating corruption requires the willpower of everyone, that is, the Government and its agencies, Civil Society Organisations, Communities and every individual. Against this background, Zimbabwe had to develop a multi-stakeholder-driven strategy, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS 2020-2024), bringing together state and non-state actors, including citizens to collaborate in the fight against corruption".
The NACS was implemented through six subcommittees that worked tirelessly to support citizen empowerment and raise awareness of citizens' rights and responsibilities in the fight against corruption.
The initiatives aimed to enhance structures for deterrence, detection, adherence, and enforcement by improving compliance with anti-corruption and integrity management obligations across various sectors.
Key objectives included increasing public demand for transparency and accountability while rejecting corruption in Government offices, ministries, agencies, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), public institutions, media houses, and the private sector.
The NACS also focused on ensuring the protection of whistle-blowers and victims of corruption, encouraging active participation by the public in anti-corruption efforts.
Additionally, the programme aimed to recover assets and proceeds from corruption crimes, compensate damages inflicted on the state and corruption victims, and enhance the transparency, political will, and accountability of political parties.
Mr Reza said commendable progress in the fight against corruption was recorded through the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.
He said there was inter-agency collaboration between ZACC, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority leading to the recovery of hundreds of vehicles illegally imported into the country through abuse of the Civil Servants Vehicle Rebate Scheme.
Mr Reza added that the inter-agency collaboration also helped account for executives and medical practitioners who abused Medical Aid funds for public sector employees, thereby endangering the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"The active involvement of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in citizen empowerment and awareness has been instrumental," he said.
"Through their support, millions of citizens were reached during rural and urban awareness campaigns. Targeted campaigns in urban areas were held at various public service institutions and schools.
"While in rural areas, campaigns were also tailor-made to address issues like corruption in the education sector and the management and utilisation of land.
"The country has also recovered illicitly acquired wealth from public sector officials and returned the proceeds to the state."
