Who takes the responsibility for corruption in Zimbabwe! Part II

Following my submission on corruption issues in Zimbabwe a few days ago (Who takes the responsibility for corruption in Zimbabwe!), I feel compelled to present this continuation on the same topic as a way to engage patriotic Zimbabweans to keep the debate flowing and also to encourage brainstorming for pragmatic solutions to an unsettling problem.

I am confident and positive that if properly reminded to act, the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee and the Anti-Corruption Committees still hold the potential to deal with the architects of corruption together with their supporting systems regardless of the faltering or gullible nature of the human soul.

I must also admit that the corruption topic remains burning on my heart for as long as the problem prevails and is overlooked due to some other seemingly more tempting or pressing issues of the day. What some of us may forget is that all our achievements to date can evaporate into thin air if we let this disease become part of our modern culture in Zimbabwe.

This is because the derailment of national ethics, abandonment of ship by senior public officers and a wanton plunder of national assets affects not only the economy and the present generation but also future generations and national development issues. Form a regional perspective; no one wants to deal with corrupt systems. Also, as a drawback, it's easier to destroy our inheritance, values and legacy than to rebuild such achievements on the same watch and timing.

Whether you are ZANU (PF), MDC or any of these short-lived nameless seasonal political parties out to make a few dollars from low-budget talk, the corruption problem is for the nation at large. Justice courts and the police should always hold office with a sense of accountability, responsibility and service. Those in charge of our uniformed forces should be answerable for the current issues of corruption by their subordinates.

The only major issue is that the conduct of the perpetrators on the ground is in most cases sanctioned by those at the top. The same degree of transparency should touch the MPs who squandered CDF funds on shopping for personal needs as the electorate suffered in anticipation. With this current rate at which some uniformed forces are now daring and unashamed to demand bribes from society for any duty performed, where is Zimbabwe heading?

With disturbing news about some towns like Victoria Falls gradually falling into individual political leader ownership, where do we stand as a country in the next twenty years?

What about the natural resources, vast wildlife, abundant minerals and conservancies of this great country?

How are we going to sustain the future of our promising nation and the generations to come when all such valuable assets are gradually falling into the ownership of private and careless citizens?

When ministers design roads that cut through public cemeteries for easy access to their farms, where do we place our conscience?

What of excavating graveyards to make way for luxurious golf courses?

College principals want bribes to enrol students. The so-called "shefs" (sic) force headmasters to absorb their nephews and nieces into schools that are already filled to capacity. Senior party officials and other respectables refuse to pay tuition because they are government. Government drivers on duty drain fuel from government vehicles to sell to other motorists on the street. Beneficiaries of agriculture inputs sell seed and fertilizer to get money for barbeque, night ladies and booze.

Those who serve in hotels and restaurants make their loved ones dine for free. Those in butcheries steal meat and sell to their neighbors. Night watchmen "sell" alleyway space to men and women trying to catch AIDS at night. Everyone in retail plays king in the neighborhood because they are good at kuburitsa, priests take credit card payments for prayers, baptism or marriage services, law clerks claim they know certain judges and can arrange to make things get expedited or some case records disappear. Some clerks actually boast that they can influence the outcome of certain matters before the courts. Law firm clerks claim threaten laypersons in their neighborhoods with law suits to their convenience. Everyone in a position of advantage claims to have special powers of influence to political leaders and senior uniformed force personnel.

Everyone expects a "cut" for doing the expected public service. Hakuna mutsvene. All have eaten the fruit of a poisonous tree. It's simply a crazy world!

When citizens pay bribes to have birth certificates, jump the queue, secure a burial order or have expedited passports or academic transcripts, where are we going as a nation? Everyone wants power and must have a compelling presence. We all seek recognition but we should strive for fair play. While we all need comfort and the success of our country, what are we doing when we are the cause of the mess?  Mostly many of us enjoy the prevailing conditions due to short-lived advantages. We forget that tomorrow or very soon, the corruption effects will ricochet to haunt us at our own door steps.

Without being honest to ourselves on an accountability platform we are heading nowhere. We can change the constitution, outvote a violent or confused party or try to be progressive. But as long as we stand and look as corruption coagulates to insoluble levels, we are bound to fail. Regardless of the strength of our human capital or intelligentsia, if we fail to nip the root of evil in the bud, we are sitting on a time bomb that heralds a quick downfall. As a handful of representatives, our policy makers and political leaders will soon individually own all of our national assets as the majority is pushed to the cliff edge of the colonial era days. As long as we fail to remind our leaders to serve the country and protect the assets under a futuristic motive, they shall continue to perform wanton acts of greed and move on without accountability.

The national asset registry should be made public in the interest of public accounts. Perpetrators of corruption should be named, shamed and exposed, punished without further ado. The use of traps could also work to weed out corrupt police officers and those manning public offices. In this era of technology, victims of corruption should record such scenes and expose them to the public without compromise. There should also be a law that forces a police officer to identify oneself with a government badge before laying out a charge especially at a traffic stop. Without such measures, police officers are bound to harass the public for bribes and favors by the day. Women too risk being abused under this category. Again, legislators should step up and act to stop such draining conduct.  

Tapiwa Kapurura writes in a personal capacity.