Lockdown regulations allow traders providing essential
services to operate from 8am up to 3pm during the 30-day national lockdown
announced by Government last week. The traders and their staff must have
exemption letters.
However, some officials and police officers are allegedly
demanding bribes of up to US$50 to facilitate the issuance of letters to
unauthorised people intending to move around during the lockdown.
The same officials have also been accused of delaying
issuing the letters, apparently to induce applicants to pay them bribes.
Those who can afford like illegal money changers are now a
common sight in Gweru’s city centre after corruptly getting the exemption
letters.
The illegal money changers are seen every day at places
like Kudzanayi Bus Terminus where they don’t even exercise social distancing in
light of the Covid-19 which is infecting and killing scores of people every
day.
Last year, the office of the Gweru Development Co-ordinator
was ordered to stop issuing travelling exemption letters to ordinary people and
businesses during the Covid-19-induced lockdown by Government because of
bribery allegations.
This time, it is the police and Government departments that
are issuing the exemption letters. The exemption letters allow businesses and
travellers easy passage at security checkpoints during the Covid-19-induced
national lockdown.
A female miner told Chronicle yesterday that she was asked
to part with US$50 if she wanted an exemption letter for her and her employees.
She said she has trucks which are hired by artisanal miners to ferry gold ore.
“I was asked in one of the Government offices to pay a
bribe of US$50 for them to expedite issuance of my exemption letter. Business
is low, it’s raining and there isn’t much mining taking place. I wanted my
drivers to have letters but they demanded a bribe,” said the Shurugwi-based
miner.
In an interview yesterday, Zacc spokesperson Commissioner
John Makamure said full-scale investigations were in full swing to weed out
corrupt elements among Government officials responsible for issuance of
exemption letters.
“The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has received
several complaints of Government officials and police officers demanding bribes
in order to issue exemption letters to registered businesses and travellers.
The Commission would like to sternly warn perpetrators of the vice that the
long arm of the law will soon catch up with them. We are investigating the
reports and would like to appeal to the public to immediately report the
officials involved,” he said.
Comm Makamure said registered small-scale businesses were
being affected more by such malpractices.
“Statutory Instrument 10 of 2021 is very clear on the
exemption. There are no fees to be paid to obtain an exemption letter,” he
said.
Comm Makamure said they had observed with great concern
that some ministries and departments were taking long to process applications
even in circumstances where applicants met the legal requirements.
He said such delays might have an effect of promoting
corruption. Chronicle
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