Don’t intimidate people with information on corruption – MP

The Member of Parliament for Makoni South Mandi Chimene says people with information on corrupt activities must not be intimidated and authorities should not ask who brought the information on corruption. They must just investigate.

“We cannot live in a country where people are afraid to say what they have seen because of intimidation whatever threats,” she said amid cheers from fellow members in her contribution to the debate on good governance. “It should be clear to the nation that corruption is not acceptable, no matter whom you are or at what level you are.”

Chimene said people should also not start asking who brought the information, they should let the institutions tasked with investigating do their job.

“Mr. Speaker Sir, at times people say, who brought the information – so what? It is information and that is why we have institutions that check on information. That is why we have the Police, the CID, and the President’s office – the CIO to check on such information.

“We cannot discard information at information stage. It must be investigated. Whoever will be caught must be arrested. Let us have the cases investigated in their individual capacities. We are not looking at the persons but we are looking at the cases. The person will come after the case has been filed, then who did what? The person is then named.”

Full contribution:

MS. CHIMENE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I also want to add my voice to this very disheartening and heartbreaking motion that was moved by Hon. Madzimure. Mr. Speaker Sir, corruption is unacceptable at any level and by anyone. A normal person and a Zimbabwean citizen, with all their five senses working properly without any form of disability should have their conscience telling them that what they are doing is unacceptable.

Corruption is not something that comes to you when you are unaware. People indulge in corrupt activities willingly, knowingly and intentionally. I do not see a situation where one can excuse themselves for doing any corrupt activities because they would have indulged willingly.

I was reading and observing what is happening in churches. The corruption which is there is in such a way that one would decide to stop going to church because at times you would wonder what the churches are now representing. Some stories that we hear and witness happening in churches like cases of corruption are not acceptable.

If the Bible serves them right and they read and understand it, they should not indulge in corruption because it tells us not to do that. It affects innocent people, people who are at home and do not even know – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – that there are certain things happening here on earth, more so here in Zimbabwe.

Mr. Speaker Sir, I go along with the Government decision that Chief Executive Officers must have a salary pegged at US$6 000. It is a lot of money. If there is any CEO who cannot accept this because they are used to handling huge sums of money, they can leave. They can either accept the salary or leave the job. Mr. Speaker Sir, there are a lot of people on the streets who are over-qualified. They are even more qualified than the people who hold these posts. They will be happy to get US$6 000 and do a better job than what these corrupt people are offering us – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –

Mr. Speaker Sir, it is also disturbing to hear that all their activities have, at some point, been directed to the Head of State to say that the President has appointed corrupt people. He has no X-ray to detect such elements. He appoints people anticipating that they will do the job. So, any one regardless of who they are, regardless of what position they hold, if caught in between should face the law. Action must be taken and the law must be allowed to take its course.

Mr. Speaker Sir, at times people say, who brought the information – so what? It is information and that is why we have institutions that check on information. That is why we have the Police, the CID, and the President’s office – the CIO to check on such information. We cannot discard information at information stage. It must be investigated. Whoever will be caught must be arrested. Let us have the cases investigated in their individual capacities. We are not looking at the persons but we are looking at the cases. The person will come after the case has been filed, then who did what? The person is then named.

We cannot live in a country where people are afraid to say what they have seen because of intimidation – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – whatever threats. Mr. Speaker Sir, I thought it should be clear to the nation that corruption is not acceptable, no matter whom you are or at what level you are. In schools people are being asked to pay some certain amounts for you to get a place for a child – it is corruption.

At certain times, we say corruption because we do not know what it is. It is the accumulation of those small things that you say today, you hear Hon. Chimene has done this and people say, ah! it is Hon. Chimene. The next day it is Hon. Chimene, the accumulation is what has brought us to this stage. I am calling upon the Government to take action. Whether there will be a Committee whether the normal systems will take up the cases, it must be done. Our people out there are happy with the position that Parliament has taken so far. They are also happy to hear that some of the perpetrators have been apprehended, they are happy and at least for a start, we have started on a good note as Parliament. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]

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