Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has said a multi-sectoral approach is crucial in fighting corruption, which is stalling the country’s economic growth and urged members of the public to act as whistle-blowers.
Zacc has sprung into action following concerns that corrupt land barons were illegally parcelling out communal and urban land in exchange for kickbacks.
The invasion of communal farming land spaces by land barons is said to be straining livestock production as some illegally settled persons are reportedly building homes in areas reserved for pastures.
While Government has taken a tough stance against illegal land occupation resulting in the arrests of dozens of offenders countrywide, communities have called for the arrest of the land barons.
The concerns have prompted Zacc to join hands with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to roll out public awareness campaigns in targeted areas.
Speaking recently during an awareness meeting in Mbalabala, Zacc principal public education officer, Mr Reuben Mutsvairo said sensitising communities is key in fighting corruption. He urged community leaders to play an active role in the fight against corruption.
“Corruption can’t be fought by Zacc alone. If all these Government officials you see here today and yourselves work together we can fight corruption,” he said.
“I beg you to report any form of corruption. As Zacc, we work with all these Government departments when we are investigating corruption and today, the issue is land. Let’s make it clear that land in Zimbabwe isn’t for sale unless there are title deeds or it’s owned by our local authority.”
Mr Mutsvairo said land in rural areas is not for sale.
“If you sell or buy land that’s corruption. If you hear someone say they are selling land and they don’t have title deeds for that land they are selling, rush to our offices and report,” he said.
Mr Mutsvairo said they are conducting a public awareness programme in rural communities to curb the issue of illegal parcelling out of land.
“We have realised that people do corruption due to lack of information. We then rolled out this awareness programme tackling the issue of land. People should firstly consult local leadership and authority, responsible ministries before erecting an illegal structure,” he said.
“Now people are occupying grazing land, farmland because they acquire land illegally.
Mr Mutsvairo said Zacc is there to guard against bribery, use of fake documents, forgery, concealing a transaction among other land-related offences.
Umzingwane District Development Co-ordinator,Mr Peter Mahlathini said the illegal parcelling out of land is a threat in the district. He said the Zacc campaign will give the much-needed impact for positive change.
“People used to illegally occupy land and now pastures are slowly vanishing. The issue of illegal parcelling out of land is affecting, not only human beings, but our ecosystem also,” he said.
“Our district was affected especially in resettlement and in communal lands. Now that the Zacc team is here from the deliberations, I foresee a huge change and I hope villagers and headmen will cascade information to the masses.”
Mr Mahlathini said there is a need for people to live in harmony and abide by the country’s rules and regulations.
Mbalabala village head, Mr Mano Ndlovu, said the intervention by Zacc has helped villagers acquire crucial knowledge on land issues.
He said some of the villagers are elderly people and some land barons take advantage of that to sell them land illegally.
Mr Ndlovu said the issue of depleting land for grazing purposes is a huge concern to villagers. —@DubeMatutu
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