from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – THE Zimbabwean government has been urged to investigate and institute reforms to curb the rising scourge of corruption.
Calls by Transparency International follow the release of a documentary uncovering exposes of alleged illicit financial flows from Zimbabwe, including serious allegations of abuse of diplomatic immunity, illicit gold trading, corruption and money laundering in the mining sector.
The Al Jazeera television documentary: ‘Gold Mafia’ also comes after the release of the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index which revealed ongoing endemic corruption in Zimbabwe, with a score of 23 out of 100.
Following the documentary, Transparency has called on the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to investigate further and cause necessary reforms to end such activities in the country.
“New scandals of grand corruption and abuses of public office continue to emerge, which damages the country in the perspective of investors and development partners,” it stated.
“Along with the shocking findings of the documentary, these results make clear that it’s time for the government to take stronger action against corruption and money laundering.”
The documentary exposes incidences of alleged under invoicing and under declarations by registered gold dealers to Fidelity Printers and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, alleging even higher losses than previously assumed.
Transparency highlighted this reduces the country’s ability to build critical infrastructure and support the needs of the population or respond to urgent challenges.
“To combat this, the government of Zimbabwe should strengthen mutual legal assistance with other involved jurisdictions to facilitate the exchange of information,” Transparency stated.
The anti-corruption organisation said government must also ensure that such institutions have the capacity to manage mutual legal assistance requests.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa was elected president of the Southern Africa country in 2018 on a pledge to eliminate corruption.
– CAJ News