Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe should take a leaf from China on corruption
02 Apr 2014 at 16:47hrs | Views
The story in the Newsday of March 31, 2014, indicating that the Chinese authorities have seized assets worth at least fourteen and half billion (14, 5 Billion) from more than three hundred (300) relatives and close associates of retired domestic security Tsar, Zhou Yongkang, who is reportedly at the centre of China`s biggest corruption scandals, should stand up as a lesson to Zimbabwe on how to tackle the scourge of corruption which has now ruined the country. It is incumbent upon the Zimbabwean authorities to become serious on tackling in corruption the same way the Chinese are doing in their country.
Zimbabwe, which is currently struggling to raise money for the Zim Asset programs launched late last year as an economic blue print meant to revive the ailing economy, should now take the issue of corruption seriously. Corruption, in conjunction with the economic sanctions imposed on the country by the western countries over a decade ago, has ruined the economy to the extent that talking about corruption without taking action will not solve anything. In China, the issue of corruption is dealt with accordingly with some of those involved in such shod deals getting death and sometimes life in jail sentences as a way of deterring would be corrupt individuals from indulging in such activities which do not do any good to the economy of the country. The Chinese government has taken a hard stance in dealing with corruption vice as a way of making sure that their economy is not ruined by few individuals at a cost of the majority in that country.
China, which is now competing with the United States of America (USA) in economic development, has developed a no-nonsense approach to corruption and the Chinese economy is progressing well as the country is heading towards a corrupt free China. In its fight to eradicate corruption in its circles, China has come up with no scared cows' policy when it comes to dealing with corruption. China does not take any favours or mind who is not to be investigated when it comes to corruption. It makes sure that corruption investigations are carried out from everyone regardless of the status of such an individual in society. China has laws which deal seriously with corruption to the extent that one can receive capital punishment when it comes to issues of corruption.
As earlier indicated in this article that the Chinese authorities have seized asserts worth billions of dollars from relatives and close associates of the former top security Tsar, Zhou, shows that China is serious when it comes to issues of corruption. That move by the Chinese authorities to seize asserts of relatives and close associates of Zhou is clear indication that China does not tolerate corrupt activities from any corner or any individual despite his political position in the country. China is only concerned with seeing that country having a corrupt free environment so that its economy is not indented with corrupt and greedy individuals who only think of accumulating more personal gains at the expense of the majority.
China has been active in curbing corruption in that country by even targeting high profile people by bringing them to book as a way of showing the world that China has a zero tolerance to corruption. Last year Bo Xilai, a top politician in that country, was sentenced to life in prison on bribery charges, fifteen (15) years for embezzlement of funds and seven years for abuse of power, leaving him with nothing but to face a jail as his new home until death.
Such a move by China of dealing decisively with corruption should be a lesson to Zimbabwe which is failing to get funds for government programs, a lot of funds are circulating in few corrupt individuals` pockets. The recently published salaries of chief executive officers (CEOs) of some parastatals and local authorities, in which obscene salaries were unveiled show a sad scenario in the country when the government is still struggling to effect salary increments for civil servants and get funds for Zim Asset programs. While Zimbabwe is failing to raise funds to kick start some Zim Assets programs, some of the CEOs are earning nearly half a million dollars at a time when the country is not producing enough for the economy to be viable. It is surprising why the government is taking long to act on such matters of importance in the country when the economy is drifting to an alarming rate of deflation.
A lot has been said and published in newspapers about those fingered on issues concerning with corruption but the government seems to be not prepared to deal with such corrupt activities. Zimbabwean people seem to have perfected an art of talking a lot about corrupt activities in the country but are reluctant to take stern measures to curb corruption the same way as what the Chinese are doing.
Surprisingly the Zimbabwean situation, unlike the Chinese situation where they implemented legal frameworks meant to deal with corruption, Zimbabwe only appointed an Anti-Corruption Commission with no legal frameworks to deal with corruption. One wonders whether this country is really prepared to deal with corruption. The Ant-Corruption Commission which, was appointed some few years ago, had its term of office expiring late last year, without any work it did to arrest those found to be indulging in corrupt activities. It was a not proper for such a commission to be put in place with no legal frameworks to operate. As such, that commission ended up chewing the tax payer`s money while doing nothing. In short, they ended up doing what they were meant to curb, resulting in them becoming useless in the country.
Recently a lot of corrupt activities by top government and parastatals bosses were reported in the private and public media but nothing is being done to make sure that the corrupt ones are brought to book. It is surprising that the government is failing to act on corruption in the country as a way of bringing sanity in the economy at the same time when government is failing to raise money for the civil servants salaries. Corruption should be dealt with decisively and those who fraudly accumulated wealth should be thrown behind bars for the whole of their lives like what happened to Bo Xilai. It would not serve any purpose to cover up those criminals when the country is suffering to this extend. Is there any economic sense to relax and just claim that corruption cannot be dealt with because there are no legal frameworks to deal with it when parliament is there to quickly enact such legal frameworks as a way of dealing decisively with corruption?
The situation in which the country is now, calls for a bush legal framework to deal with corruption. If it means that the constitution should be suspended and a state of emergency is declared in order to deal with corruption, let it be. For how long should we keep on waiting for the legal framework dealing with corruption to be enacted when the country is economically screaming? The country is in a situation where issues of corruption should be dealt with left, centre and right. There has to be no scared cows in this fight if the country is to win this war on corruption.
While the country has fought three consecutive Chimurenga wars that started with the Mashona and Ndebele Uprisings of the 1890s(first Chimurenga) to the liberation war(Second Chimurenga) of the 1960s which brought independence in 1980 and now the land reform war(Third Chimurenga),there is a need to declare a fourth Chimurenga meant to fight corruption. Once the fourth Chimurenga is won, Zimbabwe will get moving again economically. It is not too late, but political will is needed in wagging the fourth Chimurenga.
Zimbabweans, let`s us unite and fight together this fourth Chimurenga so that we get the country economically moving again.
Mukachana Hanyani, a Harare-based political and social commentator who can be reached through mhanyani@yahoo.com
Source - Mukachana Hanyani
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