ILLEGAL sanctions imposed on the country by some Western
nations are fuelling corruption as they have incapacitated both Government and
the private sector from providing competitive salaries therefore leaving
workers susceptible to the pervasive vice, Zanu PF acting spokesperson, Cde
Patrick Chinamasa said.
Addressing a Press conference at the governing party’s
headquarters in Harare yesterday, Cde Chinamasa said there was a clear link
between corruption and the illegal sanctions imposed by some Western nations as
punishment for embarking on the land reform programme.
“There is a relationship between sanctions and corruption,
whereupon due to incapacity of Government or the private sector to provide
competitive salaries in the region, workers end up engaging in acts of
corruption to supplement what they get which is however, unfortunate.
“The illegal sanctions have affected our economy and
continuously affect the value of our currency and consequently our returns.
Again, due to sanctions our institutions mandated to fight corruption have been
incapacitated to investigate swiftly both local and external cases,” said Cde
Chinamasa.
The illegal sanctions that manifested themselves as
financial, trade, cultural, academic, sport embargoes, diplomatic isolation,
travel bans, freezing of financial accounts of the national leadership have
cost the country more than US$42 billion since 2001. However, the United
States, which still maintains the illegal sanctions has been trying to hide
behind a finger by claiming that the sanctions do not hurt ordinary
Zimbabweans.
“It is for this reason that we implore and remind comrades
in the media of their patriotic duty to report on corruption and call upon the
removal of sanctions, the twin evils that are haunting our society. On a daily
basis we hear comrades in the media echoing the US Ambassador’s fake news
narrative that Zimbabwean problems are a result of corruption and not
sanctions.
“If sanctions were not meant to and are not affecting our
economy, why have successive administrations in these countries and the US in
particular kept these sanctions. For leisure or for fun?” asked Cde Chinamasa
rhetorically as he reiterated the call for the unconditional removal of the
illegal sanctions.
The revolutionary party’s acting spokesperson added that
the media should play a leading role in exposing corruption which is a threat
to the nation Vision 2030 to become a middle class economy.
“Zanu PF in 2018 earmarked the fight against corruption as
one of its key deliverables and to achieve that President ED Mnangagwa declared
a zero tolerance to corruption towards building a corruption free society,” he
said.
With the fight against corruption a key priority, Cde
Chinamasa said the media was a key ally in the fight against the cancerous vice
that is ubiquitous, which also rampant in churches and the civil society
organisations.
He, however, said the media should be wary of being used to
drive political agendas but must remain “frank and objective” and apply the
highest standards of investigative journalism to unravel the intricacies
inherent in corruption cases. Herald
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