Corruption and leadership sincerity
IT is not enough for the political leadership to merely give speeches about fighting corruption and setting up anti corruption bodies if nothing tangible is seen and achieved. Zimbabweans are not complicated people.
They only want to see corrupt officials being convicted and going to jail and paying stolen loot back and seeing election pledges fulfilled. The current leadership is not seen as being sincere about fighting corruption so confidence has been lost even by people who were optimistic about the post Mugabe leadership.
Zimbabwe’s leaders can learn a lot from China because it is a good example of what can happen when political leaders are sincere and personally committed to fighting corruption. In his series of books The Governance of China the Chinese President Xi Jinping outlines his government’s hard line approach to fighting corruption. Since 2012 more than 100 000 corrupt Chinese officials have been arrested and penalised.
The sincerity is tangible and visible through measures like deterrent fines, confiscation of property, imprisonment and in very severe cases death sentences. In March 2018 Zhang Zhongsheng (65) a former deputy mayor of Lualong a Chinese mining city became the first public official to be sentenced to death after being convicted of bribery charges involving US$150 million. President Jinping publicly committed to fighting corruption when he came to power in 2012 and he kept his word. His sincerity and personal commitment made all the difference. Zimbabwe’s leadership, if it is sincere, can take leaves from his books.
In China political will has gone a long way to fight corruption even if the toughest measures can never totally eradicate it Radical amendments to the law and legal procedures were undertaken and replaced pussyfooting with offenders and wrist slapping and catching and releasing. Xin Jin Ping outlines the tough measures taken to restore discipline and cleaning the Communist party as the first punch in the fight.
Anti-corruption efforts had been on the agenda of successive Chinese leaders since 1978 when radical economic structural reforms started.
I AM humbled to invite you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to take time in prayer and fasting as a nation before the Almighty God, to seek his mercy, wisdom, help and healing to overcome this deadly pandemic — President Emmerson Mnangagwa
Jinping has been the most successful because in 2012 when he took over corruption had reached alarming levels. Senior Communist party officials ran mafia type criminal rings and amassed massive power and wealth through trading bribes for political favours. Local businesses paid bribes to them to secure lucrative government contracts as well as subordinates seeking promotion to higher offices.
Some party officials and their families had even become more powerful and influential than the President by controlling the most lucrative government contracts and tenders. Jinping took off kid gloves and destroyed untouchable big wig criminal rings, vowing that no one would be left punished no matter how senior and close to him they were.
Xin Jinping said nothing remarkable or unique that has not been said by every leader of every country about corruption. The only difference was his sincerity and commitment. Under his leadership China went beyond talking until everyone could see and feel the difference.
Xi Jinping pays tribute to his predecessors Mao Zedong (1893-1976) and Deng Jaoping (1904- 1997) and senior party figures Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin. All four were Marxists and revolutionary military strategists and
THE resources in our country belong to every Zimbabwean. They are not there for the loot of the few. I represent that voice of a starving soul throughout Zimbabwe. Our people are suffering — MDC Alliance deputy national chairman Job Sikhala theorists. Mao was one of the main founders of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and founder of the Mao Zedong Thought and the chief architect of socialist reform which triggered the modernisation of China’s economy. Deng was the architect of the Deng Xiaoping Theory in whose roots the war on corruption began. The Deng Theory addressed the symptoms and root causes of corruption and its punishment and prevention. The 2012 18th National Congress of the Communist Party committed to delivering a moderately prosperous China by 2020. Corruption was deemed the biggest threat to the vision so it had to be dealt with decisively.
Corruption is a hot political potato. Corrupt activities support the livelihoods and political careers of many highly influential people so only the most courageous leaders have the guts to tackle it because the political risk is too great.
Very few leaders dare to deal with it decisively and risk their political careers. Many leaders start off with the best intentions but they usually retreat and buckle because of the resistance and pressure by powerful cartels and individuals who give them critical financial support. Many leaders are personally compromised and conflicted that they dare not risk the embarrassment and political loss so they indulge in safe weak efforts that only entrench the problem.
For now the Zimbabwean leadership has failed to convince the public of its sincerity because there is a culture of insincerity, apathy and indecisiveness.
For example every year the AuditorGeneral reports on the massive corruption in government ministries and state enterprises but nothing is ever seen to be done to address the myriad of issues raised despite the recommendations given.
Thus the corrupt dealings of well connected people and public sector officials continue unabated while the public rightly grows more sceptical and bitter.
Miriam Tose Majome is a lawyer at Veritas and she writes in her personal capacity. She can be contacted on mtmajome@gmail.com and Twitter @MajomeMiriam.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has full confidence and trust in the free and private media. He will strive to give you the space you desire just as much as he will help you stave off the hostile encroaches of foreign political and business interests. — Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa
THERE have been reports of heightened couples squabbles under the current lockdown brought about by COVID-19. The reason cited is that couples are now spending more time together. Instead of tolerating each other and bonding more, they are unfortunately microscopically analysing each other's shortcomings. Oftentimes violence erupts or separation if not divorce resultantly come up. Patience and self control are virtues necessary in life. I present this article I did on Saturday August 25, 2012 on this platform but of course with a bit of newer knowledge.
The rate at which cases of divorce have been increasing globally is a major concern for the church and society in general. Divorce has been reported from as high personalities as presidents, archbishops, pastors to the ordinary congregants and peasants of all races, tribes and nationalities. Some of the most weird and bizarre reasons and instances of divorce have been reported. Couples that have been married for even as long as 30 or 40 years have divorced because they suddenly discovered that, “we are not compatible”.
Couples have divorced just after the honeymoon when the groom discovers that the bride had lied throughout their dating period that she was a virgin. There are others that are physically living together to protect an image but are practically divorced. Marriage is a covenant instituted by God and He never meant it to be broken. He hates divorce. If you don't understand it and don't intend to remain in it, then don’t even get into the marriage. No one has extra time to waste on this side of eternity.
While marriage was initiated in the divine and spiritual realm, it is practised or lived out in the physical realm of man. While addressing the issue of resurrection, Jesus made the following remarks in Luke 20:34-36, “And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of resurrection.” People have married from the mindset of the fantasy world and later discovered that their partners were not the angels they thought they were. I’m using angels here because they are used to reference faultlessness. However, scripturally and doctrinally we shall judge them. In this two-part series allow me by way of examples to teach how divorce can be avoided. Marriage is the foundation for society and has to be protected. Apart from hurting the two parties concerned, divorce eats into the fabric or societal cohesion.
While partners come from God, they are physical beings and therefore have to meet the desired physical attributes. Some young man recently divorced because his wife had “become too fat” and shapeless after giving birth. Travelling to a funeral some months ago, the four gentlemen that I was with gave me some of the most chilling examples of how prevalent adultery and fornication is including in the confines of the church. They told me how a young man who feared God and was so passionate about serving Him has now sworn never to marry and never go to church again after dating for two years. He kept himself pure. As they were setting up the dates they went to the girl’s aunt were the girl suffered a miscarriage. You can finish the story yourself.
The gentlemen told me that some of the girls that come to church have nothing to do with church and reverence of God and are looking for sex, but the church brothers are too holy and talk of sex after marriage. This is also the case with some brothers. This is our teaching anyway. While I was researching for this piece, a Christian brother called me and asked me to include his testimony. After dating for just over a year, his girlfriend had been pushing him to quickly put bride price together because most of her friends had been married and her family was putting pressure. When he called me he was crying because he heard that her girlfriend had been taken by another guy who had already paid lobola the previous week. Girls! Girls! Tell me, is this true or are the guys lying?
To balance my enquiry, I asked some 29-year-old “Christian” professional lady what was going on. She told me that as ladies, they don’t have social places to hang out and the church becomes the best or default option. She said at her age she doesn’t expect to date a guy who talks of sex after marriage. In fact, she says virginity is no longer fashionable these days and asserts that you can even fail to find a virgin above 20 years. Is that so? Fill me in please.
A gentleman called me two weeks ago to give me some money to seed for a good wife after divorcing years ago, but has been failing to get a committed woman. Another man that I know has decided never to marry again after divorcing twice because he caught both the first and second wife red handed in adultery. Don’t go far, I will return next week to solve this mess, just remember angels don’t marry. We all have shortcomings. Keep yourself pure, you are going somewhere.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you
All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
Feedback: pastor@newgatechapel. org Fellowship with Pastor Makarimayi on Facebook and on www.twitter.com/PEMAKARIMAYI.