The new code of conduct for Vice Presidents and Ministers which the government has recently started creating has been described as a useless legislation which will not be respected.
The code of which, the government, says is meant to curb corruption has been described as a meaningless piece of legislation.
Terry Mutsvanga, the Director of Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) condemned the government for its reluctance to implement policies that are aimed at restraining corruption.
“As CAC we do not believe that there will be any meaningful progress with regards to fighting graft in Zimbabwe. Since 1980 the government has not been serious at all in fighting corruption and its only pure rhetoric with no action at all,” said the CAC boss.
He went on to say that the code of conduct should not be taken seriously at all
In 2012 Zimbabwe lost approximately $2 billion to corruption. This comes as the country was rated among the most corrupt nations in southern Africa in a recent Transparency International (TI) survey, ranking 163 out of 176 countries.
The Auditor General Report’s and multiple visible signs are clear evidence that corruption is rampant amongst senior government officials.
22 ministries were also found to be corrupt and were exposed for abuse of office, corporate governance, abuse of accounts and floating procurement procedures
Only 10 ministries were said to be corruption free.
Jacob Mafume, the MDC Renewal spokesperson and a lawyer by profession said the gesture to introduce a code of conduct for VPs and ministers is a pipe dream.
“The only code this government obeys is a mafia code, they steal and their debts forgiven. They are unproductive and can feed on the state as permanent parasites,” he said.
He also likened corrupt government officials to HIV which destroys the host it feeds on.
Tendai Biti, MDC Renewal Secretary General and one of Zimbabwe’s best barristers was quoted on newzimbabwe.com saying President Mugabe is the grandmaster of corruption.
“It will be absurd for anyone to think that Mugabe can be recognised for fighting corruption when he has been then grandmaster of corruption itself.
“This country is anchored on patronage by neo-patrimonialism which is a system of corruption centred on the president on which the country becomes hostage to the President’s boys who grabbed land and companies in the name of the president,” Biti said.
Section 106 of the Constitution stipulates that “an act of parliament must prescribe a code of conduct for vice presidents, ministers and deputy ministers.”
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