Opinion / Columnist
If civil servants must declare assets, then let's start with the president and his ministers
7 hrs ago | Views
As the old saying goes, what's good for the goose must be good for the gander - yet in Zimbabwe, accountability seems reserved only for the powerless.
The government's recent announcement of a proposed amendment to the Public Service Act, which will compel civil servants to declare their assets, is a classic case of misplaced priorities, veiled in the rhetoric of transparency and good governance.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
It is yet another example of how the powerful in our country continue to deflect attention from their own unchecked corruption by creating an illusion of accountability - targeting the most vulnerable and impoverished in society, while protecting those with the most to hide.
According to Information Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere, the Public Service Amendment Bill will require public servants to disclose their assets to the Corporate Governance Unit as part of efforts to prevent conflicts of interest and promote trust in government institutions.
On the surface, this appears commendable - until one considers that these same calls for accountability rarely, if ever, extend to those occupying the upper echelons of power.
Why must low-ranking teachers, nurses, and police officers - many of whom earn less than US$300 a month - be the first to declare their assets, when the real rot lies much higher up?
With such meager salaries that cannot even support a small family, what assets are civil servants realistically expected to possess?
This policy reeks of hypocrisy and cynicism, especially coming from a government whose ministers and cronies are repeatedly linked to multi-million-dollar scandals without consequence.
The truth is, civil servants in Zimbabwe have been systematically impoverished.
Many have been reduced to surviving through so-called "side hustles."
Teachers sell sweets and biscuits to their own pupils.
Nurses moonlight as informal traders.
Police officers are forced to sell homemade pies and drinks to visitors at police stations just to make ends meet.
These are no longer rare stories - they are a shared national experience.
One doesn't need to look far to witness the sheer desperation among our civil service.
It is in this context that teachers' unions such as the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) have been demanding a minimum monthly salary of at least US$1,260.
This figure is not a luxury.
It is based on the actual cost of living in Zimbabwe today - the price of food, accommodation, transport, school fees, and other basic needs.
Teachers are not just demanding money; they are demanding dignity and recognition for the vital work they do in shaping the country's future.
Yet, rather than addressing these legitimate concerns, the government seems more interested in putting these already burdened workers under even greater scrutiny.
The question that must be asked is: what does the government hope to achieve with this asset declaration exercise?
Is it truly about combating corruption - or is it about creating a façade of reform while shielding the real offenders?
Because, if corruption is indeed the target, then why are the most egregious acts of looting and plunder going unpunished?
It was not teachers or nurses who were implicated in the infamous Gold Mafia documentary, which exposed high-level money laundering, gold smuggling, and the abuse of state institutions for private gain.
Those revelations did not center on underpaid civil servants.
They pointed squarely at the ruling elite and those closely aligned to them - individuals who wield state power, who are entrusted with public resources, and who, by virtue of their proximity to the presidency, seem untouchable.
It is also not the rank-and-file police officers or soldiers who are involved in the opaque awarding of inflated multi-million-dollar contracts to shady contractors.
These contracts, many of which bypass public tender procedures, have become a key conduit for siphoning public funds into private hands.
And yet, despite clear evidence of abuse, there is rarely - if ever - any meaningful accountability.
So again, why is the government not demanding asset declarations from ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries, and yes - even the president himself?
These are the individuals whose access to public funds and authority over procurement decisions make them far more susceptible to corruption and illicit enrichment.
They are civil servants too, are they not?
Or is the law only to apply to the powerless?
Zimbabweans have not forgotten how the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) - a constitutional body tasked with investigating corruption - has time and again focused its energy on prosecuting low-level offences while conveniently ignoring high-profile crimes.
ZACC will enthusiastically arrest a police officer who receives a $5 bribe from a motorist driving without reflective warning triangles.
They will zealously hunt down a teacher earning $10 per pupil from conducting private lessons - lessons born out of necessity, not greed.
But they will not dare investigate the political elites who approve and benefit from unjustifiable contracts, or those exposed for externalizing millions.
Before zealously targeting teachers and nurses with asset declarations, the government should first address the glaring and persistent findings in the Auditor-General's annual reports.
Year after year, these reports have exposed shocking levels of financial mismanagement, unaccounted-for public funds, dubious procurement practices, and ghost workers on government payrolls.
Billions of Zimbabwean dollars have been lost through systemic abuse and neglect in ministries, parastatals, and local authorities - yet hardly any meaningful corrective action has been taken.
These reports are a goldmine of evidence for anyone genuinely committed to fighting corruption.
Instead of fixating on underpaid public servants trying to survive, the government should demonstrate its integrity by acting decisively on these damning audit findings and holding the real culprits accountable.
This double standard is not only unjust - it is dangerous.
It erodes public confidence in our institutions and deepens the sense of helplessness among citizens.
Zimbabwe cannot fight corruption from the bottom up.
It must begin at the top.
Accountability must be demonstrated by those with the most power and the most privilege.
The government cannot in good faith ask the nation to believe in its anti-corruption crusade while shielding its own leadership from scrutiny.
To be clear, no one is suggesting that low-level corruption should be ignored.
Corruption at every level is destructive and must be tackled.
But there must be equity in enforcement.
There must be proportionality.
The same urgency with which a poor civil servant is investigated must also apply to a powerful official suspected of awarding a US$40 million contract to a briefcase company.
The teacher giving extra lessons to survive must be treated with the same scrutiny as the minister implicated in looting public funds.
Until we reach that point - until asset declarations begin with those in the Office of the President and Cabinet, cascading downward - this entire exercise will remain a charade.
It will not build trust.
It will not stop corruption.
And it will not lead to the development Zimbabwe so desperately needs.
Real reform requires political will, not public relations.
If the government is serious about accountability, let it start by opening its own books.
● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
The government's recent announcement of a proposed amendment to the Public Service Act, which will compel civil servants to declare their assets, is a classic case of misplaced priorities, veiled in the rhetoric of transparency and good governance.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
It is yet another example of how the powerful in our country continue to deflect attention from their own unchecked corruption by creating an illusion of accountability - targeting the most vulnerable and impoverished in society, while protecting those with the most to hide.
According to Information Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere, the Public Service Amendment Bill will require public servants to disclose their assets to the Corporate Governance Unit as part of efforts to prevent conflicts of interest and promote trust in government institutions.
On the surface, this appears commendable - until one considers that these same calls for accountability rarely, if ever, extend to those occupying the upper echelons of power.
Why must low-ranking teachers, nurses, and police officers - many of whom earn less than US$300 a month - be the first to declare their assets, when the real rot lies much higher up?
With such meager salaries that cannot even support a small family, what assets are civil servants realistically expected to possess?
This policy reeks of hypocrisy and cynicism, especially coming from a government whose ministers and cronies are repeatedly linked to multi-million-dollar scandals without consequence.
The truth is, civil servants in Zimbabwe have been systematically impoverished.
Many have been reduced to surviving through so-called "side hustles."
Teachers sell sweets and biscuits to their own pupils.
Nurses moonlight as informal traders.
Police officers are forced to sell homemade pies and drinks to visitors at police stations just to make ends meet.
These are no longer rare stories - they are a shared national experience.
One doesn't need to look far to witness the sheer desperation among our civil service.
It is in this context that teachers' unions such as the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) have been demanding a minimum monthly salary of at least US$1,260.
This figure is not a luxury.
It is based on the actual cost of living in Zimbabwe today - the price of food, accommodation, transport, school fees, and other basic needs.
Teachers are not just demanding money; they are demanding dignity and recognition for the vital work they do in shaping the country's future.
Yet, rather than addressing these legitimate concerns, the government seems more interested in putting these already burdened workers under even greater scrutiny.
The question that must be asked is: what does the government hope to achieve with this asset declaration exercise?
Is it truly about combating corruption - or is it about creating a façade of reform while shielding the real offenders?
Because, if corruption is indeed the target, then why are the most egregious acts of looting and plunder going unpunished?
It was not teachers or nurses who were implicated in the infamous Gold Mafia documentary, which exposed high-level money laundering, gold smuggling, and the abuse of state institutions for private gain.
Those revelations did not center on underpaid civil servants.
They pointed squarely at the ruling elite and those closely aligned to them - individuals who wield state power, who are entrusted with public resources, and who, by virtue of their proximity to the presidency, seem untouchable.
It is also not the rank-and-file police officers or soldiers who are involved in the opaque awarding of inflated multi-million-dollar contracts to shady contractors.
These contracts, many of which bypass public tender procedures, have become a key conduit for siphoning public funds into private hands.
And yet, despite clear evidence of abuse, there is rarely - if ever - any meaningful accountability.
So again, why is the government not demanding asset declarations from ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries, and yes - even the president himself?
These are the individuals whose access to public funds and authority over procurement decisions make them far more susceptible to corruption and illicit enrichment.
They are civil servants too, are they not?
Or is the law only to apply to the powerless?
Zimbabweans have not forgotten how the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) - a constitutional body tasked with investigating corruption - has time and again focused its energy on prosecuting low-level offences while conveniently ignoring high-profile crimes.
ZACC will enthusiastically arrest a police officer who receives a $5 bribe from a motorist driving without reflective warning triangles.
They will zealously hunt down a teacher earning $10 per pupil from conducting private lessons - lessons born out of necessity, not greed.
But they will not dare investigate the political elites who approve and benefit from unjustifiable contracts, or those exposed for externalizing millions.
Before zealously targeting teachers and nurses with asset declarations, the government should first address the glaring and persistent findings in the Auditor-General's annual reports.
Year after year, these reports have exposed shocking levels of financial mismanagement, unaccounted-for public funds, dubious procurement practices, and ghost workers on government payrolls.
Billions of Zimbabwean dollars have been lost through systemic abuse and neglect in ministries, parastatals, and local authorities - yet hardly any meaningful corrective action has been taken.
These reports are a goldmine of evidence for anyone genuinely committed to fighting corruption.
Instead of fixating on underpaid public servants trying to survive, the government should demonstrate its integrity by acting decisively on these damning audit findings and holding the real culprits accountable.
This double standard is not only unjust - it is dangerous.
It erodes public confidence in our institutions and deepens the sense of helplessness among citizens.
Zimbabwe cannot fight corruption from the bottom up.
It must begin at the top.
Accountability must be demonstrated by those with the most power and the most privilege.
The government cannot in good faith ask the nation to believe in its anti-corruption crusade while shielding its own leadership from scrutiny.
To be clear, no one is suggesting that low-level corruption should be ignored.
Corruption at every level is destructive and must be tackled.
But there must be equity in enforcement.
There must be proportionality.
The same urgency with which a poor civil servant is investigated must also apply to a powerful official suspected of awarding a US$40 million contract to a briefcase company.
The teacher giving extra lessons to survive must be treated with the same scrutiny as the minister implicated in looting public funds.
Until we reach that point - until asset declarations begin with those in the Office of the President and Cabinet, cascading downward - this entire exercise will remain a charade.
It will not build trust.
It will not stop corruption.
And it will not lead to the development Zimbabwe so desperately needs.
Real reform requires political will, not public relations.
If the government is serious about accountability, let it start by opening its own books.
● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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