ZACC Solicits Churches' Help In Fighting Corruption
In a bid to intensify its fight against graft, Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) has decided to rope in churches to help them fight corruption, the Daily News reports.
The development came to light yesterday at a workshop seeking to address the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) in which leaders from various church denominations were in attendance.
Speaking at the workshop, ZACC Chair Justice Loice Matanda Moyo in her lengthy address said;
Research has shown that 85 to 87 percent of Zimbabweans belong to a religious group. To this end, religion or the church is bequeathed with the responsibility to inculcate good values, including teaching the nature and effects of corruption.
From this research, it, therefore, follows that, in every institution, public or private, there are more people who are religious as compared to those who may not be. Thus, the religious people either participate in corruption or they choose not to report corruption
I have no doubt that senior government officials, civil servants, members of independent commissions, local authorities and even officials in the private sector are church members to various denominations which are ably led by pastors here present. It is, therefore, the role of the church to pray for us as leaders. If leaders are corrupt then churches should be blamed for not fulfilling their role.
We have all felt the social, economic and business impact of corruption in all sectors of our country. Many churchgoers are struggling to make ends meet in their everyday lives, and we feel the pinch of reality just like everyone else. Believers are not exempt from trials of this country and the world. We are living in perilous and drastic times. Drastic times call for drastic measures. There is just something about churches that society finds in times of tragedy and hardship.
Currently, we are facing this menace of corruption. People have lost hope; there is loss of critical moral values, increased poverty, broken families, drug abuse, loss of life, poor service delivery among others. However, the church should preach hope, and love. Once love is present, love for yourself and neighbour there is no room for greed.
The role and importance of the church in the community therefore cannot be overemphasised. The church is the lifeline of any society. It keeps people grounded and instils change in people’s lives. The church has to be involved in every facet of the life of a believer. I am sure that you may have noticed that people tend to flock to churches at the time of crisis be it personal or national tragedy.
ZACC has introduced a cocktail of measured to investigate, combat, and discourage corruption but it still has very few convictions.
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