Sekai Manyere-Herald Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has called on the leadership of the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) to uphold integrity in handling national data and avoid corruption in statistics that mislead the nation.
Speaking during an integrity pledge signing ceremony, ZACC manager for compliance, systems and process review under prevention of corruption and corporate governance, Mr Tinei Majada, said prevention of corruption was more effective than investigating after harm has been done.
He said the signing of integrity pledges was in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and the national goal to build a corruption-free society.
“Prevention of corruption is always more effective than investigating after the harm is already done; by signing this pledge, we are not just performing a routine bureaucratic task, but we are making a solemn public commitment,” he said.
He said signatories commit to refusing to engage in or participate in any corrupt activity, resisting the temptation to use public office for personal gain, reporting any corrupt practices or vulnerabilities encountered and rejecting the temptation to turn a blind eye to unethical conduct.
“The strategic role of ZimStat as the sole custodian of Zimbabwe’s national data is critical. Your statistics guide national budgeting, corporate investment and socio-economic planning,” Mr Majaga.
“If data processes are compromised by corruption, the entire nation might be misled. Your integrity is the very foundation of public trust.”
Mr Majaga said signing the document must trigger transformation.
“Words alone will not fight corruption. Words must be followed by action. As the leadership of ZimStats, you must lead by example and cultivate a corruption-resistant culture within your institution. True corporate integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching you,” he said.
ZimStat Director General Mrs Tafadzwa Bandama said the agency will cascade integrity pledges to all staff to ensure national statistics are produced with integrity and transparency.
“It is a significant milestone for ZimStat to have signed these integrity pledges as senior management for a start,” she said.
She said the process will be cascaded to all staff members at ZimStats, including those in the provinces.
“As we embrace integrity in our day-to-day duties in producing statistics that are needed for decision-making and policy-making, we want to ensure that the information that is used for development planning is produced with integrity, transparency, professionalism and all the important values that you can think of in the production of statistics,” she said.
She said it was the first time ZimStat had signed the pledge after training. The signing comes as ZACC intensifies its preventive approach, targeting institutions that are custodians of critical national systems.
