ZACC bemoans duplication of work

POOR coordination between the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and the police’s anti-graft unit has resulted in duplication of investigations and a waste of the State’s resources, a top ZACC official has said.

ZACC investigations manager Mr Lovemore Findi hailed the establishment of the special anti-graft unit within the police service, but called upon the investigating arms to synchronise their work.

Mr Findi, speaking at the just-ended anti-corruption training for magistrates in Harare, said the two arms, often ended up investigating the same cases separately.

He was addressing the gathering on challenges facing ZACC in discharging its duties of combating crime and corruption.

“I also want to applaud the initiative taken by our sister organisation, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, through Acting Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba, who is with us here, to set up an anti-corruption unit,” said Mr Findi.

“Yes, ZACC has the mandate, but the country is too big and we also need helpers. We are so grateful for that initiative. However, I should hasten to say, we should then have a coordinated approach as we investigate these cases so that we do not waste resources by duplicating investigations.

“We do not want situations whereby ZACC is investigating a case, and the police are separately investigating the same case.

“Resources are scarce and we hope through such workshops we will be able to come up with a coordinated approach in investigating these cases of corruption.”

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi urged key players in the corruption fight to break the silo mentality and work together in a coordinated manner to eradicate the scourge.

“There is need for a coordinated approach to these corruption cases,” he said. “Let us break this silo mentality that I am from Ministry of Justice, judiciary, ZACC, police or NPA. We belong to the same Government and we have one