The Member of Parliament for Bubi Clifford Sibanda has called for a concerted fight against corruption because it is going to burn the whole country. “When corruption gets to its highest level, all of us will be corrupt, when we are all swimming in it at the same time.”
Sibanda said corruption was now rampant because people had lost their values. “When you look back, there are some of the things we used to call ziyazila, zvinoera or taboo. Today, those are the very things we are finding ourselves enjoying.”
“But it takes two to tango. It takes two to really be involved in corruption. I think it started by haa ukandiitira izvi – if you do this for me, I will give you a coke. If it would take a coke for something to be done, there are certain levels of that coke.
“If you are going to buy a coca cola for you to get something, it shows that from the levels that are very low, that coke grows as you get higher and higher. When you get to the people with more money, the coke may be $2 000, $2 million or whatever,” Sibanda said.
Full contribution:
MR. C. C. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to add my voice to this most important debate. Corruption, as other members have said is a cancer. We all need to unite to deal with the scourge of corruption in our country because this is affecting the fabric of the nation.
When Jesus Christ was walking on earth, you can imagine how much the level of corruption that was in the Jewish community as a community that was God fearing, to the extent that they could not even understand some of the laws that they were given by God. The Pharisees who were supposed to be the preachers of the laws of God were now giving a whole load of the laws which they could not carry on their own, as the people that were assigned to be looking at how people are carrying the day to day laws of God. When Jesus came, he warned the Pharisees.
When corruption gets to its highest level, all of us will be corrupt, when we are all swimming in it at the same time. That is the most unfortunate thing that you will find. Jesus also said you cannot remove a little speck in one’s eye and fail to remove the log which is much bigger in your own eye. We need to be a people that have a resolve to really stand together, united to fight the issue of corruption without an element of …
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, hon. member.
MR. HOLDER: On a point of order, the hon. member cannot say we are all swimming in corruption. I do not think that is a fact.
MR. C.C. SIBANDA: Mr. Speaker, I did not say that. I said it would be easy when corruption has gotten to its highest level, many people will be talking corruption, corruption and corruption yet all of them will be swimming in it. That is what I meant.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You may proceed.
MR. C. C. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. There is something that is called human factor decay. Human factor decay is the deterioration of qualities on how the humans view themselves and things that are important in life. When human factor decay is within the human soul, the human being loses moral values and that would be a point where the corruption will creep in. What humans need is a development of the so called human factor content where our value systems, hunhu/ubuntu is of high standards.
We need to build through this Parliament, a nation that has ubuntu/hunhu which is the highest quality of a good society. When you look back, there are some of the things we used to call ziyazila, zvinoera or taboo. Today, those are the very things we are finding ourselves enjoying. I think there is something wrong with the society of today.
We can point fingers at each other but what we need to do is to deal with corruption. Since we are here, we are in Government to deal with issues of corruption at whatever level it manifests itself. Corruption must be dealt with regardless of political affiliation, our position in society or who we are because today, corruption is almost found everywhere including; as the other speaker alluded to, in churches.
But it takes two to tango. It takes two to really be involved in corruption. I think it started by haa ukandiitira izvi – if you do this for me, I will give you a coke. If it would take a coke for something to be done, there are certain levels of that coke. If you are going to buy a coca cola for you to get something, it shows that from the levels that are very low, that coke grows as you get higher and higher. When you get to the people with more money, the coke may be $2 000, $2 million or whatever.
I support the establishment of the Committee to look into the issues of corruption in our society and also the strengthening of the Anticorruption Commission on the other side. They should work together to find ways of dealing with the issues of corruption in our nation. It is so easy to say so and so is corrupt. Let us deal with corruption once and for all as a nation.
Let us all be resolved as Parliament to fight corruption. It does not matter whether it is going to come to some of us or whosoever. Whether in Government or wherever we are, let us resolve to fight the scourge of corruption in a country because definitely it is going to burn the whole country.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important debate.
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