By Blessed Mhlanga
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s lawyer, Thabani Mpofu, has challenged the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) to arrest “the real big criminals” involved in the looting of National Social Security Authority (Nssa) and offered to prosecute the matter for free.
In a terse statement, Mpofu said he had details of the real looters around Nssa, accusing Zacc of going for small fish.
“We know who it is that has raided the public purse. We are fully aware of what happened with Command Agriculture, the true but untold Nssa story is known to us, even to the minutest derail. We are ready to act, but we will only act against the corrupters of the corrupt, the bishops of thievery,” he said.
Mpofu said if Zacc chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo was sincere in the fight against corruption, she should arrest the chief architects of the looting and he would offer his expertise free of charge to prosecute them.
“This is my public offer to you Justice Matanda Moyo, give me three of the big ones, give me three who have looted our billions and I will prosecute the for free. The ball is on your court, m’ lady,” he said.
Mpofu’s statements come at a time there has been outrage from the public fronted by Zanu PF accusing MDC-aligned lawyers of representing alleged corrupt Zanu PF chefs.
One of the MDC-aligned lawyers, who spoke on condition of being unnamed, said people were missing the bigger picture.
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“Look at the defence in most of the cases, it has been simple, that the public officials acted under instructions from the appointing authorities. In the scheme of taking the cases, we expose the fact that the State is targeting smaller fish and it should prosecute everyone from the top,” the lawyer said.
National Patriotic Front spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire said there was nothing much to read in the corruption crusade because it was merely a fight for political space.
“It has nothing to do with corruption, it’s politics. This is why you find lawyers who are part of the MDC don’t miss a heartbeat when they take on cases against the small fish in Zanu PF because it becomes persecution,” he said.
Former Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Priscah Mupfumira battling for freedom has in her defence indicated that the pilferage of funds from Nssa was bigger than her.
Contacted for comment, Justice Matanda-Moyo said she has already commented about the issues raised.
