News / National
Zimbabwe forms special Anti-Corruption Taskforce
6 hrs ago | Views
The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has partnered with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to establish a special taskforce aimed at tackling graft and maladministration in local authorities across the country.
The initiative comes amid growing concerns that corruption and inefficiencies in both rural and urban councils have contributed to poor service delivery, deteriorating infrastructure, uncollected refuse, and the mismanagement of community funds.
Addressing journalists in Harare, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe emphasized that the taskforce would close gaps that have allowed cases to stall for years, eroding public trust in governance structures. "Currently, there are several corruption-related cases under investigation in the majority of councils across the country, many of which have dragged on unresolved due to their complexity. This joint taskforce will ensure that no case is left hanging indefinitely. We are determined to bring finality to cases, recover stolen resources and restore confidence in local governance," he said.
The Ministry, which oversees 92 local authorities under the Urban Councils Act and the Rural District Councils Act, has traditionally focused on administrative oversight, while ZACC and the police handled criminal investigations. The new arrangement is expected to improve coordination and accelerate the resolution of cases.
Minister Garwe stressed that the Ministry's involvement would not undermine ZACC's constitutional mandate but would instead strengthen the response to corruption allegations. "We want to create a governance culture where corruption has no hiding place, where every allegation is promptly attended to and where councils return to their core mandate of serving communities," he said.
The Ministry's Integrity Committee, established under ZACC guidelines, will also be integrated into the taskforce to promote ethical conduct and introduce preventative measures.
Years of unchecked corruption have hindered the delivery of essential services such as water provision, road maintenance, housing projects, and refuse collection. Government hopes that by rooting out corruption, councils will operate more efficiently, restore investor confidence, and improve living standards for citizens.
The initiative comes amid growing concerns that corruption and inefficiencies in both rural and urban councils have contributed to poor service delivery, deteriorating infrastructure, uncollected refuse, and the mismanagement of community funds.
Addressing journalists in Harare, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe emphasized that the taskforce would close gaps that have allowed cases to stall for years, eroding public trust in governance structures. "Currently, there are several corruption-related cases under investigation in the majority of councils across the country, many of which have dragged on unresolved due to their complexity. This joint taskforce will ensure that no case is left hanging indefinitely. We are determined to bring finality to cases, recover stolen resources and restore confidence in local governance," he said.
The Ministry, which oversees 92 local authorities under the Urban Councils Act and the Rural District Councils Act, has traditionally focused on administrative oversight, while ZACC and the police handled criminal investigations. The new arrangement is expected to improve coordination and accelerate the resolution of cases.
Minister Garwe stressed that the Ministry's involvement would not undermine ZACC's constitutional mandate but would instead strengthen the response to corruption allegations. "We want to create a governance culture where corruption has no hiding place, where every allegation is promptly attended to and where councils return to their core mandate of serving communities," he said.
The Ministry's Integrity Committee, established under ZACC guidelines, will also be integrated into the taskforce to promote ethical conduct and introduce preventative measures.
Years of unchecked corruption have hindered the delivery of essential services such as water provision, road maintenance, housing projects, and refuse collection. Government hopes that by rooting out corruption, councils will operate more efficiently, restore investor confidence, and improve living standards for citizens.
Source - online
