In a sweeping anti-corruption operation, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has detained 235 public officials implicated in illegal land deals and various other offenses, including criminal abuse of office and fraud.
This major development was disclosed by ZACC commissioner Gabriel Chaibva, who noted that these cases have been forwarded to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe for further action.
Chaibva revealed that of the numerous cases recorded, 36 have been completed, and assets worth an estimated US$135 million have been identified as tainted.
“In 2022, the commission received a total of 684 complaints of suspected corruption, with Harare alone accounting for 481 cases,” he said during a workshop on Land and Corruption in Zimbabwe, hosted by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) on Monday.
The distribution of corruption cases reported last year spans across the country, with the Midlands registering 58 cases, Bulawayo 43, Masvingo 42, Mashonaland West 17, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland 16 each, Mashonaland East 8, Matabeleland North 2, and Matabeleland South 1.
Highlighting the prevalence of corruption in urban and rural councils which are run by the opposition, Chaibva stated,
“Criminal abuse of duty and fraud were the most reported crimes in 2022, exacerbated by the activities of land barons.”
Tafadzwa Chikumbu, executive director of TIZ, emphasised the human rights violations associated with land invasions.
“Many people have been evicted without compensation”, Chikumbu said. He added that marginalised communities often do not benefit from investments in their areas, with women and children being particularly affected.
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume pointed out that land barons have been exploiting systemic loopholes to sell unserviced land, creating legal and social issues.
“Land barons have been a menace.
We need a holistic approach: banning invasions, establishing proper criminal offenses, and stopping the sale of unserviced land”, said Mafume.
Mafume also discussed plans to revise Harare’s master plan to address land issues comprehensively.
Echoing these concerns, Stanley Sakupwanya, Zanu PF Manicaland Youth League provincial chairperson, accused councils of facilitating land corruption.
“These land barons often produce council papers, leading to double allocations due to council inefficiencies,” Sakupwanya remarked.
As the crackdown on corruption continues, the ZACC’s actions underscore the ongoing struggle against deeply entrenched corrupt practices within Zimbabwe’s land management and public offices.
Government has given ZACC the firepower to investigate and bring to book corrupt individuals without fear or favour. President Mnangagwa is on record condemning corruption and calling for stiffer penalties for offenders. The asset forfeitures serve as a deterrent measure for would be offenders.
