News / Local
75 Zimra officers arrested
26 Jun 2022 at 03:14hrs | Views
A TOTAL of 75 Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) employees have been arrested and prosecuted for various corrupt activities between 2018 and 2021.
The revelations comes days after it was also revealed that Zimra is investigating three Beitbridge-based revenue officers who built mansions in Harare, but failed to account to their employer how they raised the money following a lifestyle audit.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting in Masvingo last week, Zimra acting Commissioner-General Ms Regina Chinamasa said apart from the 75 employees, 34 stakeholders, including businesspeople who were working with the employees, were also arrested.
Mrs Chinamasa said provinces like Masvingo which are along the main Beitbridge-Chirundu highway should play a pivotal role in dealing with corruption.
"Masvingo is strategically located on the North-South corridor and there is a lot of enforcement activities that is happening in the region.
Given its importance geographically we also find that it's so important that as Masvingo we embrace the fight against corruption because it could be very rife in this area," she said.
She said eradicating corruption needs collective action given its retrogressive impact on the economy and region.
"Given our strategic location in the region, as Zimra, it is our pledge not to allow Zimbabwe to be the final destination or transit of smuggled goods," she said.
In responding to issues on the aspect of remuneration as the officers face temptation from businesspeople who try to avoid paying duties, Mrs Chinamasa cautioned that there was a very thin line between being greedy and being adequately remunerated.
She said the authority believes negotiated positions always bring out a win-win situation which fosters for opportunities that compel officers to resist, report and reject corruption.
"We have a vibrant union representing our employees and negotiating for staff remuneration and compensation is done at that level so as an authority we believe that the framework provides the necessary inputs into issues of adequacy on remuneration.
If you look at the examples that have been shown, I don't know if we are saying people shall be remunerated to that level that people build hotels, or it is because there is a fine thin line between greed and being adequately remunerated."
Speaking at the same event, Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira said corruption was a nationwide scourge which requires people to join in the fight.
"Corruption is everywhere and corruption must be fought not only from the corridors of power in Government but from the private sector," he said.
The revelations comes days after it was also revealed that Zimra is investigating three Beitbridge-based revenue officers who built mansions in Harare, but failed to account to their employer how they raised the money following a lifestyle audit.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting in Masvingo last week, Zimra acting Commissioner-General Ms Regina Chinamasa said apart from the 75 employees, 34 stakeholders, including businesspeople who were working with the employees, were also arrested.
Mrs Chinamasa said provinces like Masvingo which are along the main Beitbridge-Chirundu highway should play a pivotal role in dealing with corruption.
"Masvingo is strategically located on the North-South corridor and there is a lot of enforcement activities that is happening in the region.
Given its importance geographically we also find that it's so important that as Masvingo we embrace the fight against corruption because it could be very rife in this area," she said.
She said eradicating corruption needs collective action given its retrogressive impact on the economy and region.
In responding to issues on the aspect of remuneration as the officers face temptation from businesspeople who try to avoid paying duties, Mrs Chinamasa cautioned that there was a very thin line between being greedy and being adequately remunerated.
She said the authority believes negotiated positions always bring out a win-win situation which fosters for opportunities that compel officers to resist, report and reject corruption.
"We have a vibrant union representing our employees and negotiating for staff remuneration and compensation is done at that level so as an authority we believe that the framework provides the necessary inputs into issues of adequacy on remuneration.
If you look at the examples that have been shown, I don't know if we are saying people shall be remunerated to that level that people build hotels, or it is because there is a fine thin line between greed and being adequately remunerated."
Speaking at the same event, Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira said corruption was a nationwide scourge which requires people to join in the fight.
"Corruption is everywhere and corruption must be fought not only from the corridors of power in Government but from the private sector," he said.
Source - The Sunday News
