'Sanctions fuelling corruption in Zimbabwe'

THE challenges bedevilling the country's economy due to the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by some western nations have been cited as the major cause of corruption in Zimbabwe.

Addressing a Press conference at the ruling party's headquarters in Harare yesterday, Chinamasa said illegal sanctions imposed on the country are fuelling corruption as they have incapacitated both Government and the private sector from providing competitive salaries, leaving workers susceptible to the pervasive vice.

He added that there is a clear link between corruption and the illegal sanctions imposed by some Western nations as punishment for embarking on the land reform programme.

"There is a relationship between sanctions and corruption, whereupon due to incapacitation of Government or the private sector to provide competitive salaries in the region, workers end up engaging in acts of corruption to supplement what they get which is, however, unfortunate.

"The illegal sanctions have affected our economy and continuously affect the value of our currency and consequently our returns. Again, due to sanctions our institutions mandated to fight corruption have been incapacitated to investigate swiftly both local and external cases," said Chinamasa.

The illegal sanctions that manifested themselves as financial, trade, cultural, academic, sport embargoes, diplomatic isolation, travel bans, freezing of financial accounts of the national leadership have cost the country more than US$42 billion since 2001.

However, the United States, which still maintains the illegal sanctions has been trying to hide behind a finger by claiming that the sanctions do not hurt ordinary Zimbabweans.

"It is for this reason that we implore and remind comrades in the media of their patriotic duty to report on corruption and call upon the removal of sanctions, the twin evils that are haunting our society. Daily we hear comrades in the media echoing the US Ambassador's fake news narrative that Zimbabwean problems are a result of corruption and not sanctions.

"If sanctions were not meant to and are not affecting our economy, why have successive administrations in these countries and the US in particular kept these sanctions. For leisure or fun?" asked Chinamasa rhetorically as he reiterated the call for the unconditional removal of the illegal sanctions.

The revolutionary party's acting spokesperson added that the media should play a leading role in exposing corruption which is a threat to the nation Vision 2030 to become a middle-class economy.

"Zanu-PF in 2018 earmarked the fight against corruption as one of its key deliverables and to achieve that President ED Mnangagwa declared a zero-tolerance to corruption towards building a corruption-free society," he said.

With the fight against corruption a key priority, Chinamasa said the media was a key ally in the fight against the cancerous vice that is ubiquitous, which also rampant in churches and the civil society organisations.

Meanwhile, Chinamasa said Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa is not an advisor to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, hence his move to discredit the recent appointment of ministers should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.

This comes on the wake of what he described as unethical behaviour by Mliswa to record his private conversation with businessman, Kudakwashe Tagwirei.