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Nqobile Tshili, nqobile.tshili@chronicle.co.zw
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) is calling for mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of corruption, citing challenges in seizing assets and deterring graft.
Speaking at the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) 2025 legal year dinner, Zacc chairperson Mr Michael Reza said there is a need for stricter penalties to combat corruption, which he described as a threat to national development goals.
Mr Reza highlighted the effectiveness of mandatory sentences in other crimes, such as stock theft, and proposed similar measures for corruption cases. He also noted that many corruption-related assets are hidden, complicating recovery efforts.
The JSC’s establishment of anti-corruption courts was praised as a significant step toward achieving Vision 2030.
However, Mr Reza stressed the urgency of enacting the Witness Protection Act to encourage more individuals to testify in corruption cases.
“The challenges that the commission is facing in the fight against corruption is firstly, the issue of lenient sentences. I’m not saying the judges and magistrates are passing lenient sentences, but they are doing the very best that they can under the circumstances” he said.
“I am saying let us take the example of stock theft. There’s a mandatory minimum sentence of nine years.
As Zacc, we believe there ought to be something along those lines, and I’m aware that in other jurisdictions if you are convicted of corruption you may lose your life.”
Mr Reza said while he is not advocating for offenders to be killed, there is a need to do more to deter culprits from being involved in graft cases.
He said the JSC through establishing anti-corruption courts, has indicated that it takes the issue of eradicating graft very seriously.
“The JSC is the custodian of justice, upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability. Many strides have been made by the judiciary in establishing the anti-corruption courts and that was a masterstroke,” said Mr Reza.
“That was a statement of fact and shows that the JSC is interested and has the interest of the nation at heart and vision 2030 will be achieved as a result of the establishment among other things of the anti-corruption courts.”
Mr Reza said this year, Zacc plans to focus on inter-agency collaboration, capacity building, and anti-corruption awareness campaigns.
He commended the partnership between Zacc, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and the National Prosecuting Authority, highlighting their shared commitment to eradicating graft and promoting accountability.
“We will work together, we collaborate so that we achieve the one objective to ensure that we fight corruption. So we collaborate very often with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, with our colleagues there at the National Prosecuting Authority. I salute the work we do together with the JSC,” he said.
Mr Reza said during the course of this year, Zacc will scale up anti-corruption campaigns in an effort to promote a corruption-free Zimbabwe.
He said as an institution mandated to lead the fight against corruption, Zacc under the ambit of the national anti-corruption strategy, took a deliberate approach to building strong, transparent, and accountable institutions. Weak institutions were prone to corruption and, therefore, a hindrance to national development.
Last year, Zacc recovered more than 350 vehicles that were illegally imported through the abuse of the civil servants’ vehicle rebate scheme that allows established civil servants to import vehicles duty-free.
The civil servants motor vehicle rebate scheme was introduced by the Government as an incentive for civil servants with 10 or more years of service, allowing them to import a motor vehicle duty-free.
However, beneficiaries are not allowed to sell, offer, or display their vehicles for sale, lease, or hire within five years of import without prior written permission from Zimra.
Despite these conditions, it was discovered that many car dealers in Harare have been exploiting the scheme by conniving with civil servants who are not using the scheme and then using their names to import a vehicle duty free.
Zacc was also able to recover assets and proceeds of corruption and compensated for damages inflicted on the state and corruption victims. — @nqotshili
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