VICE PRESIDENT Joice Mujuru yesterday rebuked corrupt traffic police officers who demand bribes from motorists saying that was not Zanu PF’s idea of indigenisation.
BY WONAI MASVINGISE
Speaking at a graduation and prize-giving ceremony of agritex officers and tobacco growers at the Tobacco Research Board, Mujuru said the government was promoting indigenisation, but wanted it done in an ethical manner and without corruption.
“We don’t want to hear this thing that is happening at our roadblocks. When you get to a roadblock you are told “old man”, can you come out of your car so we can discuss? No, I am saying this is not indigenisation,” Mujuru said.
“When we say indigenisation we don’t mean that if you are a hospital clerk you should over charge patients and say it is indigenisation.”
According to the results of the Transparency International Zimbabwe 2012 corruption index report, the highest cases of bribery in Zimbabwe involves the police, the Registrar Generals Office, judiciary and land services.
President Robert Mugabe has on numerous occassions castigated police officers for their corrupt behaviour. Mujuru also said Zimbabwe should stop importing agricultural produce and support local markets.
“Minister Made (Joseph), even at your CSC (Cold Storage Company), you must also get the kind of machinery that is being used in other countries. The eggs that we are farming, our potatoes and our cabbages, are as good as what we are importing,” Mujuru said.
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“Imports should stop because we want farmers to support the industry so that it isn’t just supported by tobacco only. I am saying Zimbabwe has everything, so why not use the money we use to import to grow our agricultural industry by promoting our local markets?”
She added that the tobacco industry was proving to be a good income earner for the country and should be used to overcome the effects of economic sanctions.
“We talk about the issue of being under economic sanctions, but we have shown as tobacco growers that we are able to overcome these sanctions,” she said.
Made said Zimbabwe had experienced growth in the tobacco industry in recent years.
“From a low production level of just under 50 million kg of tobacco in 2008, the production of tobacco has been steadily increasing and in the just-ended tobacco selling season, 166,6 million kg worth some $612 million went through both the auction and contract system,” Made said.
“The crop accounted for 21,8% of all total exports and contributed almost 11% to the GDP in 2012.”
