Zanu PF has institutionalised corruption
FROM its original Latin meaning corrumpere (to destroy) or rumpere (to break), we can see that corruption leads to the destruction of moral values that hold a society, together.
In other words, it brings about the decay and decomposition of the virtues and moral principles of a society, resulting in the lack of faith and trust in both the public and private institutions.
In 2020, it was published in newspapers that Zimbabwe had lost US$60 million to Drax International to corruption in the procurement of COVID-19 consumables. This led to the sacking of Obadiah Moyo as Health minister.
Prior to that, Priscah Mupfumira had been caught with her hands allegedly dipped in the cookie jar.
A Transparency International survey shows that Zimbabwe is rated among the most corrupt countries in southern Africa.
There is a wide cry that sanctions are behind the failure of the economy, but if the truth be told, corruption has impaired the economy, political and social set-up, hence the government has failed to curb the disease by implementing austerity measures because they are benefiting from the system.
A retired senior police officer once said that corruption is increasingly becoming a culture and endemic feature in Zimbabwe due to the fact that everyone is part and parcel of the corrupt system.
There is the proclivity of engaging in the vice from government officials down to the general public.
Corruption has now been institutionalised, people live in corruption and they have been absorbed into the corrupt system, but they have the power to put up a genuine fight to end the scourge.
Zimbabwe’s economic situation is a progeny of corruption. Political, economic and bureaucratic corruption should be blotted out to enhance development and progress.
It begins with the general public by fighting bureaucratic corruption which they are deeply and actively involved in every day.
Passivism by continuing engaging in corruption will exacerbate the situation, but activism in fighting it is the panacea.
It only takes committed people to fight corruption for the betterment of tomorrow.
Mukunda Chitova