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Members of Parliament on Tuesday vowed to work together in the fight against corruption despite the fact that they belong to different political affiliations.
Speaking during the first report of the African Parliamentary Network against corruption (APNAC) on the benchmarking visit to Kenya, Legislator Remigious Matangira said this issue of curbing corruption does not need pointing of fingers but needs Legislators to work together.
“We have three pillars of State and we should play our part as Parliament. Let me give you my view point regarding corruption. Firstly, I am not shifting blame but I am stating facts. If you do not pay the police officer enough money and you give him money to keep as a steward, you do not expect him to look after the money.
“Then at the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, how many people have been found to be guilty of corruption but we expect them to arrest and prosecute those who steal and those who engage in corrupt activities yet we find corrupt activities happening at the Commission? At this front and back row from the left side and the right side, every day you find corruption happening within those who are supposed to eliminate corruption.
“So this is our fault, this is our responsibility because we are Government. I do not see opposition in Government but I see Government with those who won and those who did not take the first position, but in this august House, we make the Government. We need to pay our workers well, then promulgate laws,” he said.
Matangira added everyone must be punished if found guilty of engaging into corrupt activities.
“Those who are found engaging in corruption should be disciplined. We were told in grade 7 that the Bible says ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’. We need to discipline people. People should be arrested.
“We must not differentiate Parliamentarians, the ruling party and the others who are called the opposition but in this august House, we are Government, we are together and we need to unite. We need to work together and speak strongly expressing what we want to happen, what we want to see happening especially during the question and answer session, posing these questions to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and other Ministers.
When moving a motion, we need to move a motion which says we want to end corruption instead of pointing fingers. Madam Speaker, let us pay our workers enough money, whether it is ZIMRA officials at the border posts or whoever. These people are engaging in corrupt activities because they do not have money, they do not earn decent salaries. This is not because it is a cancer but it is because they are earning peanuts. The money that they earn is not enough to sustain their lives.
“If I tell you the different corruption cases that are at ZACC, even the names, there is a lot of corruption and there is nothing that you can do about those people,” said Bindura Legislator.
He further said MP’s must put mechanism that can eliminate corruption completely.
“The reason why the CDF is working properly is because there are mechanisms to monitor the use of the utility of the CDF. If we put such safeguards, then we can eliminate corruption. I thank you Madam Speaker,” said Matangira.
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