Anti-corruption commission sworn in
By Lance Guma
02 September 2011
A nine member anti-corruption commission, sworn in by Robert Mugabe on
Thursday, has been challenged to investigate and prosecute politicians from
all the political parties without fear of favour. The commission is one of
the many requirements under the power sharing deal, but fears abound that,
like many other commissions, it’s being cobbled together to give the
appearance of progress.
This latest commission is made up of people in such fields as
administration, law, religion, law enforcement and is chaired by lawyer
Denford Chirindo, deputised by Teresa Pearl Mugadza. Other commissioners
include Emmanuel Chimwanda, Lakayana Chabaka Keith Dube, Zivanayi Zed
Rusike, Shepherd Gwasira, Anna Chitsike, Elita Tinoenda Sakupwanya and Dr
Goodwill Shana.
But even before the commission begins its work several cases are sticking
out like a sore thumb and demanding attention. Last year a messy divorce
involving Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and his wife of 25
years, Marian, exposed the Minister’s spectacular wealth, acquired while
earning a modest civil servant’s salary.
Documents showed that Chombo has tentacles in virtually all sectors of the
economy. They include interests in several farms, mines, hunting safari
lodges in Chiredzi, Hwange, Magunje and Chirundu, as well as properties in
South Africa. Local properties include 75 residential and commercial stands
plus 14 houses and 5 flats, all dotted around the country. Not to mention 15
vehicles.
Even when a probe team of Harare City Councillors produced a report
implicating Chombo and businessman Philip Chiyangwa in the illegal
acquisition of council land on the cheap, the police refused to investigate
the matter. Instead the councillors were arrested and journalists who
covered the saga were also arrested and harassed by the police under
instruction from Chiyangwa.
In 2009 when the coalition government came into being Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai called for a probe into a controversial airport road construction
deal. The ‘Joshua Nkomo Expressway’ meant to link the Harare International
Airport and the city centre had been valued at US$80 million, despite a
similar 2001 project in Chegutu covering 77km costing US$19 million. Adding
to suspicion was that the airport road is actually 20km shorter than the one
built in Chegutu.
SW Radio Africa reported then how Local Government Minister Chombo and
former Harare Commission chairperson, Michael Mahachi, were accused of
corruptly engineering the deal, that saw Ukrainian company Augur Investments
being awarded the tender. When the MDC-T took over the council Mahachi was
appointed a ‘special interest councillor’ by Chombo before he resigned a
month later to become the project manager for Augur Investments.
Currently the Marange diamond fields are also being plundered by a complex
network of army, police, CIO and ZANU PF senior chefs. Mines Minister Obert
Mpofu for example has accumulated spectacular wealth from alleged corrupt
deals and is said to have gone on a real estate shopping spree, buying
properties in the Bulawayo area including the Ascot Race Course and Casino.
He also bought dozens of properties in Victoria Falls.
So the anti corruption commission should be the busiest commission in the
history of Zimbabwe.