ZACC makes its first high profile arrest

The newly appointed Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has today made its first high profile arrest on the minister of tourism and hospitality industry Prisca Mupfumira.

At the appointment of the ZACC chair Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, it was indicated that the commission was seized with 200 corruption cases and of them, 10 are high profile and Mupfumira has become the first one to be arrested.

The arrest is setting a record for the commission as it goes on its crusade against corruption going after big names that have been serving in government for a long time and before now seemed untouchable.

Insiders who spoke to the Zim Morning Post made indications to the effect that Mupfimira’s arrest is National Social Security Authority (NSSA) related.

As reported by this publication, the NSSA forensic audit report exposed the rot in the social security parastatal amidst reports of rampant corruption and mismanagement of funds.

Besides NSSA, ZACC also stated that it would handle many other cases and currently the finance director for the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) Simon Taranhike is facing charges of criminal abuse of office before a Harare magistrate.

The arrests made so far were instigated by ZACC which was recently equipped with arresting powers through Statutory Instrument 143 of 2019 which was announced in the Extraordinary Government Gazette published in June.

The ZACC commissioners who were drawn from diverse backgrounds were sworn in sometime this month vowed to deal decisively with matters of corruption and so far they have stayed true to their word.

The Matanda-Moyo led ZACC comprises of former parliamentarian Jessie Majome, John Makamure, Mabel Hungwe, Gabriel Chaibva, retired soldier Michael Dennis Santu, Phineas Murapa, former police officer Frank Muchengwa and Thandiwe Thando Mlobane.