MUTARE – The Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi has said sophisticated corruption fueled by cartels have reached alarming levels in Zimbabwe thereby affecting the country’s foreign direct investment and economic turn around.
In his speech as the guest of honour on the occasion of the opening of the Mutare Anti-Corruption court in Mutare on Friday, Hodzi said the scourge of corruption has been a major threat to the livelihoods of many Zimbabweans.
“Corruption chokes our hopes and aspirations as a nation to the extent that it undermines the peace and security of our people.” He added: “Corruption cases are usually committed by sophisticated individuals using sophisticated means resulting in complex clandestine transactions.”
Hodzi said the sophisticated corruption has also affected the social delivery and social order.
“The cost of corruption has ultimately denied development to our citizens and the youth has been denied of a brighter future ” Hodzi said it was sad that corruption has eroded the people’s confidence and trust in the justice delivery system.
“This has also eroded the confidence of people in the legitimacy of political, economic and other government institutions.” The Prosecutor General recommended that justice delivery actors that include Judges, Magistrates, Prosecutors, court staff, police, prison services and Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission among others need capacitation and continuous skills training in order to combat corruption effectively.
“We need the justice delivery actors to be adequately resourced in order to enable everybody and every department involved to deal with these matters professionally and swiftly to restore public confidence in the system,” he said.
“Sophisticated crimes should be investigated using sophisticated means, sophisticated technology and highly trained sophisticated personnel,” Hodzi noted.
He made assurance that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was working hard to deliver sophisticated world class and cutting edge prosecution in fighting corruption.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Virginia Mabhiza said the establishment of the anti corruption court in Mutare, which is the third one after Harare and Bulawayo shows the ministry’s commitment to fight corruption.
“The opening of the Mutare Anti-Corruption court presents us with yet another opportunity to advance the anti-corruption agenda as envisioned by President Emerson Mnangagwa as well as the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development,” she said.
“Fighting corruption is a global fight and Zimbabwe will not be left out,” Mabhiza said.
