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Stanford Chiwanga Online Reporter
At least 51 percent (97) of the Chronicle online readership believe the manner in which the Government handles rampant corruption will determine whether the implementation of Zim-Asset will be a success.They are also of the view that Zanu-PF’s election performance in 2018 will be determined by the corruption saga, a Chronicle online survey reveals.
At least 49 percent (92) of the readers who participated in the poll are, however, of the view that the success of Zim-Asset does not hinge on the anti-corruption drive. They also believe that Zanu-PF will win the elections in 2018 even if the party does not weed out and punish corrupt officials in parastatals and in the party.
On the Chronicle website, a total of 192 readers took part in the poll.
Zimpapers has been at the forefront exposing corruption in parastatals and public companies since the turn of the year. Corruption and obscene salaries have been exposed at the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, ZBC, Premier Service Medical Aid Society and Air Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe has already said that anyone found to be involved in corruption and criminal abuse of office will be jailed.
The President blamed some Government ministers for either being part of “salarygate”, or failing to properly supervise entities falling under their briefs.
“What does vaCuthbert Dube tell us, (he says) ko chitadzo chandakaita ndechipi?” said President Mugabe in an interview marking his 90th birthday. “Punishment of those who are proved to have been corrupt, to have been stealing – we lock them up. Vambononzwawo jeri kuti rinorwadza sei.”
President Mugabe said line ministers did little to help the situation because they were yes-men and out of touch with realities on the ground.
“Line ministry or the minister was a yes minister – standoffish,” he said. “Minister haiwa tinokuitirai basa, do not mind. The permanent secretary stands in between.
“The minister and the rest of the department yeGovernment, the minister and the boards you got to have the permanent secretary, then the chairman of the board who comes to report hee, yaa zvinhu zviri kufamba zvakanaka and so on and you rely on that.
“The board itself does not carry out examinations, inspection of what is being done by the parastatal if it is a parastatal and the minister is far removed when it comes to parastatals and that is where most of the corruption occurred. And you can see that these are institutions which were far removed from direct control by the Government – creations of the British we inherited.”
President Mugabe said parastatal bosses exploited poor supervision to loot.
“If there are losses they rely on Government to come with subventions and reports, yes, there will be reports from parastatals, the system we had inherited from Britain – annual reports, but loss after loss. Why? If there is profit – minimal.
“What is happening? Because there was no close supervision, morons took advantage of the system and wanted to benefit themselves and enrich themselves.”
Corruption, President Mugabe said, was rampant and had even permeated social institutions such as churches.
“So, there it is. It is corruption everywhere even kumachurch kwese,” he said. “Ndange ndichiverenga chimwe chipepa change chichiti kuUnited States, is it kuuniversity, kwanzi people can attend, is it the church, in nudity, being nude, naked?
“Just imagine what it means. Zvinorevei izvozvo? Hamuna mabhurukwa zvese. Munonamata Mwari upi, haiwaiwa? And if you just take pictures moenda nawo you are not hiding anything, you are showing everything.”
Online Reporter