More than two hundred Bulawayo residents took part in the
launch of a civic campaign to stop corruption in the city and the country as a
whole. The campaign organised by a host of stakeholders under the Transparency
International Zimbabwe (TI-Z) banner was hosted at the Bulawayo Large City Hall
on Saturday 4 August and brought together senior citizens, youths, university
students, women’s groups amongst others under the theme “Tshiya ubugwelegwele: Thuthukisa uBulawayo" (Fight
corruption and help develop Bulawayo).
Giving a key note address at the launch, Reverend (Rev) Ray
Motsi, said Bulawayo residents should stand up an work together to stop
corruption. “People must work against corruption because it has caused a lot of
damage even to our economy” he said. He added that, It is about time people
walked the talk and practice what they preach by being actively involved in
campaigns that are designed to fight corruption. He further stated that if
unchecked corrupt tendencies transformed themselves into bigger human rights
issues like the yet unresolved Gukurahundi genocide. He also pointed out to the
fact that the economic crisis that Zimbabwe is still yet to recover from is
largely caused by corrupt elements in state offices who abuse their power and
state resources for personal gain.
Residents complained that corruption had not only affected
national development but their day to day lives as well. They complained that
the ZESA power cuts and the water cuts could have been avoided if state
resources were being transparently used for the benefit of all citizens. They
sighted that goods were being smuggled in and out of the country corruptly
costing the country millions of revenue,that some police officers preferred to
be bribed than to fine motorists with unworthy road vehicles leading to an
increase in road carnage. Recently BPRA took an issue up with the police after
residents complained that the government run Harmonised Social Cash Transfer
Scheme (HSCT), which is meant to cushion residents from economic hardships, has
been hijacked by corrupt elements in the township who are short changing
residents of these funds.
Residents have
since pledged to work very closely
within BPRA structures and with TIZ and other organisations to fight corruption
in their respective communities.
I believe that the basic step to stamp out this problem once and for all is to iron out the mismanagement of funds here in Zimbabwe. This, as has been observed, has led to underpayment of civil servants and the uniformed forces such that they now resort to bribes as a means of top up for their nearer to nothing salaries. I personally witnessed suffering soldiers during the murambatsvina era. Really, those comrades had no other alternatives than being bribed in pulas and loaves of bread. The upper hierarchy should refrain from admiring money when it is in their pockets. For how long should we be be constantly told that money is not enough, money this or that......? The solution is not to have enough money but it is to do something sensible with the little that you have. I leave it to you brother Zibusiso Dube.
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