×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Journos urged to fight, expose corruption

News
TRANSPARENCY International Zimbabwe (TIZ) has implored the media to play an active role in fighting and exposing corruption as it announced the launch of initiatives to fight graft which is costing the country billions of dollars.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

TRANSPARENCY International Zimbabwe (TIZ) has implored the media to play an active role in fighting and exposing corruption as it announced the launch of initiatives to fight graft which is costing the country billions of dollars.

Addressing journalists during a training workshop in Harare yesterday, TIZ legal and policy officer Fadzai Jekemu said the media was a powerful tool that can be utilised in fighting the deep-rooted corruption in Zimbabwe.

“The media is the forth arm of government and helps us expose corruption in this country. The media helps us push the agenda because it is the bridge between the executive, legislative and government level and the grassroots,” she said.

Jekemu also said the media has other important roles such as educating and mobilising people against corruption that can be fully utilised in Zimbabwe.

At government level Jekemu said there were many initiatives that are being put through to fight corruption such as specialised anti-corruption units within the courts and the Zimbabwe Republic Police and legislation meant to fight money laundering.

She, however, said Zimbabwe lacked a sense of consultation and ownership on some of the policies and has been relying heavily on copying policies from others countries.

“We have these institutions, but we don’t have supporting mechanisms. Zimbabwe is a country which is good at copying and pasting practices from other countries, (without) putting a foundation for these institutions to run properly,” Jekemu said.

She said as TIZ, they are required to have strategies that fight corruption and they are adopting an anti-corruption national strategy to minimise the occurrences of corruption in the country, which will be likely launched in September.

The strategy will focus on the integrity of the judiciary, business, public finance management and land and mining governance to empower citizens.