Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube , Victoria Falls Reporter
STAKEHOLDERS in the public and private sector have called for incorporation of anti-corruption studies in the school curriculum to impart a culture of respect for public resources among citizens.
Contributing to discussions during a four-day 4th Anti-Corruption, Integrity, Ethics and Corporate Governance for Zimbabwe 2021 training workshop which ended in Victoria Falls yesterday, participants implored Government to introduce anti-corruption studies in the school curriculum.
The workshop was organised by Compact Training and had participants drawn from parastatals, Government ministries and private organisations.
The participants said anti-corruption should also be taught at tertiary institutions while training should also be provided free of charge at workplaces, both private and public.
They said there are some general statements used by citizens like “idla lapho ebotshelwe khona” which promotes corruption mentality.
The participants recommended that a formal proposal be made to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for review of the curriculum to include anti-corruption studies.
They implored companies and organisations to have frameworks to detect corruption.
The idea is to encourage citizens to shun corruption after Government has declared zero tolerance to corruption.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) is on a crusade to rid the country of corruption and a number of senior Government officials including Cabinet ministers as well as company executives and senior employees of councils have been arrested for corruption.
In an interview on the sidelines of the workshop, Zacc Ethics and Public Education manager Dr Munyaradzi Magiga praised Zimbabweans for taking keen interest in fighting corruption.
“We have seen that people now have the commitment to join the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and other organisations and institutions that are keen to assist in the fight against corruption.
“Corruption in Zimbabwe has reached pandemic level and to that effect they (public and private sector) are actually asking Zacc to discuss and take up the issue with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to see the extent to which anti-corruption issues can be part and parcel of the school curriculum. They have actually said this will assist and go a long way in bringing up a young generation whose principles are based on integrity, transparency and accountability,” said Dr Magiga.
He attributed the zeal by Zimbabweans to fight corruption to the strong stance by President Mnangagwa and the new commission headed by Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo against the vice.
Compact Training managing director Mr Trueman Debwe implored Zimbabweans to rally behind President Mnangagwa in the fight against corruption.
“There is need for collective efforts in coming up with frameworks that detect corrupt behaviour and ensure the implementation process is managed especially in the public and private sectors,” he said.
Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo who was in Victoria Falls yesterday on a tour of schools said corruption is a cancer that is bedevilling the country hence the proposal to include the subject in the school curriculum is a noble idea.
“There is no room for corruption and teaching pupils about corruption at school will assist in grooming citizens that shun the vice,” he said.
— @ncubeleon
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