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Wongai Zhangazha
FORMER Anti-Corruption minister Paul Mangwana said his tenure was fraught with political interference, lack of resources and even threats to his life and family.
Mangwana made these startling revelations in an interview with the Zimbabwe Independent yesterday focusing on the Anti-Corruption Commission. President Robert Mugabe recently swore in a nine-member Anti-Corruption Commission to fight graft, which has stalled foreign direct investment and contributed to the country’s economic meltdown.
Mangwana said the job came with a lot of challenges, which included threats to his life. He recalled incidents of gunshots being fired at his house in Mabelreign.
“The newly appointed commission must have the necessary resources and passion to deal with corruption,” said Mangwana. “They must try to build a strong confidence with the public and protect those who reveal corruption. It should not take long to investigate matters and the commissioners must be blind to politics and favouritism,” he said.
“There was an exchange of gunfire between my security personnel and some unknown assailants in 2006. I was at the farm but my children were at home. I obviously linked that attack to my work in the anti-corruption drive.”
The previous anti-graft team was led by former comptroller and auditor-general Eric Harid and also included attorney general Johannes Tomana. Mangwana, who is now the co-chairperson of Copac, said the previous commission could be applauded for successfully achieving 60% of its objectives though it faced a lot of challenges.
He said the commission received numerous reports of smuggling of precious stones and minerals such as copper and ivory into neighbouring countries.
River Ranch diamond company was once investigated for allegedly smuggling diamonds to South Africa.
Mangwana said: “There was a lot of whistle-blowing that was going on and in one of the cases we asked the commission to look into allegations that diamonds from River Ranch were being smuggled into South Africa. These were just allegations which required intensive investigations.
“There were also extensive investigations on hunting rights, particularly in areas around the Hwange area. The way some people who owned Safaris were operating was allegedly against the law.”
Mangwana said smuggling of copper, including Zesa copper wire, was also an issue the commission looked into. “There were allegations of rampant corruption among the magistrates, prosecutors as well as clerks at the High Court.
As far as magistrates’ cases were concerned, most of the accused magistrates were in Bindura and Chinhoyi. One incident I am clear of is a Kadoma magistrate who was convicted of corruption after he was caught red-handed by our team,” he said.
Last year at a Joint Judicial-Legal profession colloquium, Anti-Corruption Commission investigations manager Sukai Tongogara said they had recorded at least 1% of bribery and corruption among the judges.
Mangwana said lawyers were also involved since most were just as guilty as their clients. Former Grain Marketing Board acting chief executive Samuel Muvuti appeared in court on 508 counts of corruption and fraud allegedly committed while holding public office.
Muvuti faced 507 counts of criminally abusing his office and one count of fraud. He allegedly instructed the GMB administration manager to sell him and his friends a total of 124 453 litres of fuel at subsidised prices ranging between Z$650 and Z$65 000 per litre. Muvuti was, however, acquitted by the courts.
Mangwana said investigations against the police were numerous with the force accused mostly of demanding bribes and refusal to investigate cases involving their friends and relatives.
Mangwana said the major challenge that the anti-corruption commission also faced was the lack of financial and material resources. “The commission didn’t have operating units in all the cities, except for Harare and Bulawayo, and this hindered investigations. By the time our officers got to certain areas after a tip off, evidence would have been removed, so there is a need for the decentralisation of the commission,” he said.
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