A faction in Zanu PF has embarked on a campaign to cause the collapse the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to stop the body from investigating senior party officials accused of graft, political analysts have noted.
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
Over the past few weeks, the anti-corruption body has been under attack from senior Zanu PF officials who are using both the State media and social networking sites to discredit the commission.
The campaign, they said, started when the body instigated investigations on Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Mines and Mining Development minister, Obert Mpofu and Minister of Transport Nicholas Goche – all of them being close to President Robert Mugabe and key to his election campaign.
ZACC investigators recently failed to retrieve important files from the three ministers’ offices after they were blocked by the police and a High Court order.
Zanu PF’s determination to wreck the commission has also manifested itself through attempts to link some ZACC officials to corrupt deals and causing the arrest of some of them.
The body’s chief executive officer, Ngonidzashe Gumbo was arrested recently and is facing allegations of swindling ZACC of over US$435 000, a crime he allegedly committed about three years ago.
Its general manager responsible for investigations, Sukai Tongogara was last week questioned by police and released without charge. But analysts see it as an attempt to frighten her from pursuing high profile corruption cases.
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While it cannot be verified whether the ZACC officials are corrupt, the timing of the allegations and the charges has raised eyebrows.
Analysts last week feared ZACC could meet the same fate that befell the Scorpions of South Africa, which were disbanded in 2009 when they started investigating senior government officials, including President Jacob Zuma.
University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Shakespeare Hamauswa believes the commission could be short lived.
“Because of this onslaught the survival of this body is now doubtful,” he said. “Some of them want to use a technicality that since the commission was appointed under the coalition government it must also end after elections.”
He added: “Which means if Zanu PF wins that election, they can easily push for the dissolution of the commission” since it will be the ruling party.
In South Africa, ANC-dominated parliament voted for the abolition of the Scorpions after they shook the country’s political landscape, probing and arresting several prominent politicians. These included Zuma, ANC former chief whip, Tony Yengeni and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the former wife of ex-President Nelson Mandela.
Even former police commissioner Jackie Selebi, who was later convicted of corruption and served a jail term, was not spared. The Scorpions saga centered on power struggles between Zuma and former President Thabo Mbeki, with Zuma camp accusing Mbeki’s supporters of using the crack unit to stop his rival gaining power.
In Zimbabwe, the fight pits Kasukuwere and Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, who is critical of the minister’s indigenisation and empowerment model.
But the fight has since degenerated into party factional war, pitting camps allegedly led by Vice President Joice Mujuru and Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa in their quest to succeed Mugabe.
“The difference between our situation and the South African one is that in South Africa they used pieces of legislation to abolish the Scorpions and here this is a direct attack … that ZACC is corrupt,” said Dumisani Nkomo, Habakkuk Trust chief executive officer. “If you want to arrest Zanu PF officials you must make sure you don’t have skeletons in your cupboards.”
Habakkuk is an organisation that promotes citizen participation in decision-making and monitors electoral processes, human rights violations and governance processes at all levels. Nkomo said Mugabe could save ZACC if he feels it is politically convenient for him and his party.
“But it will depend on whether it is politically expedient for him considering we are going for elections,” said Nkomo. “But if they committed a crime, he might also let the law take its course to show that he does not tolerate corruption.”
Zimbabwe Ambassador to Senegal, Trudy Stevenson said she expected the unity government to protect the commission to enable it to perform its mandate without fear.
“I expect it (Government of National Unity) to have the courage of its convictions and defend its own creation,” she said.
The commission itself has vowed not to be intimidated.
“The commission wishes to assure the public and its stakeholders that it is still committed to the fight against corruption, and values the public’s support, co-operation and participation in refusing, resisting and reporting corruption in order to make Zimbabwe a corrupt free nation,” ZACC spokesperson, Goodwill Shana said.
