Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has announced a significant milestone in its efforts to combat corruption, with the forfeiture to the State of ill-gotten public assets worth over US$21 million – the largest recovery of its kind since its inception.
Addressing the strategic planning workshop in Nyanga, ZACC chairperson, Mr Michael Reza said the commission has also seized property valued at US$17 million, and frozen bank accounts holding almost US$1 million.
The recovered assets are a result of ZACC’s intensified efforts to tackle corruption and promote accountability in the use of public resources.
“This is money being recovered for the people of Zimbabwe. It is also a clear message to the corrupt that ill-gotten wealth is not yours,” said Mr Reza.
He announced that ZACC has referred corruption cases worth US$217 million to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for prosecution, marking a significant shift in strategy. The commission is transitioning into a more aggressive enforcement phase, prioritising asset recovery over arrests that yield little result.
“The corrupt must lose more than their freedom, they must lose what they stole,” Mr Reza emphasised, underscoring ZACC’s commitment to holding perpetrators accountable and recouping stolen assets.
According to the 2024 ZACC Annual Report, a copy of which is in possession of The Manica Post, the Commission completed, and referred 43 case files for civil forfeiture and Unexplained Wealth Orders valued at US$10,6 million in 2023.
The report also revealed that ZACC successfully forfeited properties valued at over US$20 million, bringing the total recovery to US$30,6 million.
One notable case highlighted in the report is that of Mr Frank Chitukutuku – the former Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) chief executive officer, whose ill-gotten assets were seized after he failed to justify their source.
ZACC contends that Mr Chitukutuku had corruptly acquired several properties, including movable and immovable assets, and 40 percent shareholding in Hotspike (Pvt) Ltd, which holds significant interests within Champions Insurance.
“The case involving Mr Frank Chitukutuku, former ZINARA chief executive officer started as an Unexplained Worth Order. He failed to explain his legitimate sources of income leading to a civil forfeiture application.
During his tenure, he corruptly acquired several assets, part of them valued at approximately US$20 million.
“The assets include movable, immovable properties and 40 percent shareholding in Hotspike (Pvt) Ltd within Champions Insurance Company (Pvt) Ltd. These assets have been forfeited and have been handed over to the Asset Management Unit (AMU) for administration to the State following his unsuccessful appeal to the Supreme Court,” reads the report.
The report further said the action aligns with the mandate outlined in Section 100B of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, (Chapter 9:24), which designates the AMU as the custodian of forfeited properties.
ZACC further disclosed that the US$20 million forfeited in 2024 was in addition to the US$10 million recovered from Mr Chitukutuku in 2023.
On Monday, Mr Reza emphasised that asset recovery is no longer a peripheral activity, but is now the primary measure of ZACC’s effectiveness.
“Every case file is a brick in the wall of justice – we cannot afford a single one to be weak,” he said.
Mr Reza declared the years 2026 to 2030 as the era of radical transparency, insisting that citizens must be able to track the commission’s work, and know which cases are under investigation, being prosecuted, and properties being forfeited.
“We are a public institution funded by public resources. Citizens must have access to information about the work we do on their behalf. It will be a dereliction of duty if they struggle to know what their anti-corruption body is doing,” he said.
He acknowledged progress made under Zimbabwe’s first National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS1), citing an independent evaluation confirming a 61 percent success rate, but warned that the remaining 39 percent is the space where corruption is still bleeding the economy.
“We cannot afford complacency. Corruption is the termite that eats the foundations of development, and we are the exterminators,” said Mr Reza.
He further challenged the Commission’s investigation and legal departments to maintain their current conviction rates of between 71 and 74 percent, saying that strong dockets are central to the Commission’s asset-forfeiture model. The workshop, attended by ZACC commissioners and senior officials from the NPA, Auditor-General’s Office, Zimbabwe Republic Police, and Judicial Service Commission, is expected to produce the Commission’s 2026 to 2030 Strategic Plan, which Mr Reza said must be bold, measurable, and understood by citizens.
