Latest News Editor's Choice


News / National

'Corrupt councillors must rot in jail,' says Mnangagwa

by Daniel Nemukuyu
18 Dec 2015 at 00:29hrs | Views
Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison is the right place for corrupt local authorities officials who flout good corporate governance practices and compromise the quality of service delivery in violation of the residents' Constitutional rights, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said yesterday.

VP Mnangagwa said Government was closely monitoring local government structures to weed out corruption and to ensure they prioritised service delivery to afford the residents access to clean and safe water among other constitutional rights.

Speaking at the International Human Rights Day commemorations in Chitungwiza yesterday, VP Mnangagwa said corruption in the local authorities was negatively impacting on the quality of service delivery.

To that end, VP Mnangagwa said corrupt officials risked being removed from society.

"We must also note that the capacity of infrastructure has not been expanded to cater for the increased population particularly in urban areas resulting in current challenges being experienced in the delivery of services such as provision of adequate water and sanitation.

"In this regard, Government continues to monitor local government structures to enforce good governance practices, weed out corruption and streamline budgets to prioritise service delivery.

"Corruption! Corruption! Corruption! Down with corruption. If you behave corruptly, you will be removed from the others. "Chikurubi Prison, which falls under my portfolio, is the right place for corrupt people," he said.

VP Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had made great strides in upholding human rights and success stories have been recorded in that regard.

"As Government, we have made significant progress to ensure that Zimbabweans enjoy their human rights and freedoms.

"It is important to note that the Government of Zimbabwe has managed to operationalise the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission to be the . . . watchdog and advisor to Government on all issues relating to human rights in Zimbabwe," he said.

Zimbabwe, according to VP Mnangagwa, had succeeded in affording its people the right to education.

"As we are all aware, Zimbabwe has made enduring strides in fulfilling the right to education with a high literacy rate of 92 percent.

"For three consecutive years, Zimbabwe was ranked as having the highest literacy rate in Africa and the only country at some point to have a rating of over 90 percent," he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, Harare Provincial Affairs Minister Miriam Chikukwa, urged Zimbabweans to desist from domestic violence, abortion and child marriages.

"Men, it is not your right to beat up women in the home. Make sure your rights do not violate other people's rights.

"At the same time, women should know that they do not have any right to terminate pregnancy.

"I would like to remind everyone that we must be mindful of safeguarding the rights of children and the disabled. Child marriage is a sin and it is a violation of children's rights," said Minister Chikukwa.

Source - the herald
More on: #Mnangagwa