Matemadanda warns corrupt bigwigs

NEWLY appointed Zanu-PF Secretary for Commissariat Victor Matemadanda says top Government officials and party bigwigs implicated in corrupt activities should clear their names first before assuming public office.

The firebrand Matemadanda, who is also the deputy minister of Defence and War Veterans' Affairs, said there was need for image building among public office bearers to gain public trust.  He said it was critical that leaders shun all forms of corruption.

"Those implicated in corrupt activities be it a Politburo member or minister should clear their names before the courts before taking public office," said Matemadanda.

"For those in influential position, they should resign and clear their names, they should not wait for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to nail them in public.  

"They should not wait for the President to force them to resign, they should do the honourable thing. Let them clear their names to retain confidence of the people."

Matemadanda added that everyone has an obligation to fight corruption wherever it rears its ugly head, be it in Parliament, party level or Government.

"We want things to be fair. There is need to increase the push for the fight against corruption. Corruption should never be tolerated. If a leader is said to be corrupt he or she should be given time to clear him or herself.  

"There are means to find out if it is true or not that someone is a corrupt person. You should have moral obligation that what I am doing is wrong and you will be given sometime to clear yourself so that you retain confidence of the people.  

"When we are defending a person, it must be systematic, it must not be like hypothesis, let it be proved factually that this person is not corrupt and that leader will be accepted when people gain confidence in you," he said.

Matemadanda said a ruthless fight against corruption was crucial as the new dispensation under President Mnangagwa seeks to rebuild the country's image and attract both local and foreign investment. He added that the President has previously indicated that Government will not consider "friendship or kinship" in its fight against corruption, as no one was above the law.

President Mnangagwa has declared zero tolerance to corruption, adding that he will not hesitate to drop any of his officials engaging in corruption.

While officially opening the Masvingo High Court in May 2016, President Mnangagwa singled out corruption as the biggest threat to Zimbabwe's drive to achieve its full potential as a prime investment destination.

". . . we continue in our endeavour to create jobs, uplift the quality of life of our people and promote the moral regeneration of our communities, we will escalate our determination to attain zero tolerance against crime particularly corruption, which has a corrosive, negative and retrogressive impact on our society as it undermines trust in Government, erodes citizens' ethical standards and gnaws away at society's moral fabric and the potential of our nation as a preferred investment destination,'' said the President.

Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo recently opened a specialised Anti-Corruption Court in Masvingo, where she assured the nation of a spirited fight against grand corruption by making sure all cases were thoroughly investigated and brought to court on time.