Zimbabwe is in dire need of the foreign direct investment which could make the economic turnaround of the economy viable but such a move cannot be possible if a country is full of corrupt individuals who always see the coming of any investor in the country as an opportunity for both top public and private sector officials to fatten their wallets.

It is incumbent upon the government to institute laws which empower every citizen to police each other on issues to deal with corruption as a necessary measure to get rid of it in the country. In many times, public officials have been seen on the wrong side of the law trying to illegally enrich themselves through corrupt means. For that reason the government should descent heavily on those found to be corrupt so that the country is corrupt free.

It is good for Zimbabwe to emulate what the Chinese government is doing in its effort to eradicate corruption within its ranks. China has seen it fit to deal with corrupt officials within government without favour and as a result the Chinese government has managed to make its economy to flourish. China has a zero tolerance on corruption so Zimbabwe should do likewise and it is not a crime to emulate our all weatherly friend in making sure that corrupt officials are dealt with decisively.

In 20014, the Chinese authorities seized some assets worth at least fourteen and half billion United States of America dollars (US$14, 5 Billion) from more than three hundred (300) relatives and close associates of one, a retired domestic security Tsar, Zhou Yongkang, who was reportedly at the centre of China’s biggest corruption scandals. The seizure of such assets by the Chinese government because Zhou Yongkang was found to be corrupt should stand as a challenge to the Zimbabwean government to follow suit.  Zimbabwe should make sure that those in government dealing in corrupt activities need to be arrested and jailed so that the country is corrupt free. This country should not harbour any favour when it comes to issues to deal with corruption as Zimbabweans are suffering because of the corruption of top public and private sector officials in the country.

Zimbabweans need to be aware that China, which is now competing with the United States of America (USA) in economic development, has developed a no-nonsense approach to corruption. For that reason, the Chinese economy is progressing well as the country is heading towards a corrupt free China. Zimbabwe can also do the same and get the country to be corrupt free by emulating the Chinese ways of dealing with corruption.

In fact, the Chinese government has laws which make one to be sentenced to capital punishment if he is convicted of corruption despite his/her political standing in society. China has come up with no scared cows’ policy when it comes to dealing with corruption and it is effective on that Zimbabwe should also do the same as a way of cementing the relationship that exist between the two countries. China makes sure that corruption investigations are carried out on everyone regardless of the status of such an individual in society. So Zimbabwe should do the same in making sure that those found to be involved in corrupt ways be brought to book. In fact Zimbabwe should also enact laws that criminalise the abuse of offices by both public and private officials so that Zimbabwe becomes corrupt free.

Actually, China has been active in curbing corruption by targeting even high profile people in society showing the world that she has a zero tolerance to corruption. In 2013, Bo Xilai, who was one of the top politicians in that country, was sentenced to life in prison on bribery charges, fifteen (15) years for embezzlement of funds and seven years for abuse of power, leaving him with nothing but to face a jail as his new home until death. Surprisingly incessant talk by government officials in the country denouncing corruption has yielded nothing. Zimbabwe has never brought to book any top government official found to be corrupt as if the country is safe on that field. The economic malaise of this country although the sanctions played a part but corruption fuelled the economic downturn of this country.

So such a move by China to deal decisively with corruption should be a lesson to Zimbabwe which is failing to get funds for government programs, yet a lot of funds are circulating in few corrupt individuals’ pockets. If serious moves by government are taken against corrupt individuals Zimbabwe’s economy can get to life again. While it is not for this article to name and shame those involved in corrupt activities but the ones in that field should know that their actions are doing no good to the country. And they should be aware that failure to stop that will leave this writer with no option but to name and shame them in the next instalment.

During a briefing with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the functions and status of the National Prosecuting Authority on 31 March 2013, National Prosecutor-General who was by then  the Acting Attorney-General, Mr. Johannes Tomana, told the committee that the government was supposed to capacitate institutions mandated to fight corruption while creating an enabling legal framework if the country was to deal decisively with the scourge of corruption in the country. Such a view by the top government lawyer in that time should have been taken seriously as it was overdue for such an enabling legal framework to be enacted as a means to deal with corruption. Surprisingly such an enabling legal framework meant to deal with corruption has not been put in place despite the presence of the Anti-Corruption Commission in the country.

Zimbabweans are eagerly waiting to see whether the statement by the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Dr Godfrey Gandawa suggesting that all corrupt government officials should be jailed in order to effectively curb the scourge of corruption would be take aboard. While addressing delegates attending a ZimRights-organised choral music competition in Bulawayo on Saturday 28 November 2015, Dr Gandawa said that endemic corruption was threatening investment in the country and the government should move away from threats, but act against those found on the wrong side of the law.

So such people like Dr Gandawa needs to be applauded for coming out clear and denouncing corruption in the country. Actually as a parliamentarian, Dr Gandawa must take up his suggestion to the responsible authorities so that laws to deal with corruptions are put in place as soon as possible so that the country becomes corrupt free like what China is fighting to be like.

For the anti-corruption commission to be effective, political people with political power should exercise their powers decisively in dealing with corruption as a way of attracting foreign direct investment. The commission should be given full powers to investigate and arrest those dealing in corrupt ways irrespective of their political affiliations so that corruption is minimized if not eradicated completely in the country.by John Mukumbo source-bulawayo24