Anti-corruption commission corrupt, says Mphoko

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has hit out on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), saying there is need to clean up the organisation of corrupt elements and reconstituting it if crime is to be effectively managed in the country.

Mphoko said criminal elements within the anti-corruption commission are undesirable and are rendering the institution toothless, hence the need to weed out some characters who are wanted criminals in other countries such as South Africa and Namibia.

"Ordinary Zimbabweans are suffering because of corruption which has seen high ranking officials mismanaging some public and private institutions and plundering public funds yet no arrests have been done to bring the culprits to book," he said.

Reports on the looting that characterised the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) by the Cuthbert Dube executive made news headlines yet all those implicated have not been charged as yet.

This is despite that thousands if not millions of Zimbabweans contribute to the fund but fail to access health care services.

There have also been reports of looting through under declaration of diamonds proceeds estimated at US$15 billion with no one as yet having been implicated.

"These criminal activities cost patriotic Zimbabweans a huge price as they bear the savage effects of public officials not being held accountable for their actions," Mphoko said.

The Vice President added that corruption has been long identified as a factor in the economic decline, hence the call to strengthen the anti-corruption unit.