The form, a copy of which was leaked to The Zimbabwean, requires elected party officials such as councillors, Members of Parliament, Senators and national executive members to declare their current assets. The completed forms were expected to have been handed over to the Secretary General, Tendai Biti by Monday this week. “Although the exercise was carried out rather too late, it will help weed out corruption from among future office bearers. As the declaration forms do not seek information about assets owned by the officials before they came into office, it would suggest that those who amassed ill-gotten wealth from the GPA could get away with it,” said a top party insider. “The move sends the right signals that the party does not condone corruption in whatever form.”
The party is grappling with suspected widespread corruption and recently expelled a number of its Chitungwiza councillors following allegations that they had corruptly parcelled out residential and commercial stands to residents against council policy.
In Harare, Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda asked the MDC to investigate massive wealth accumulated by councillors who were voted into office without even a bicycle or a car to their names.
In response to public outcry against corruption, the party’s Secretariat for Local Government conducted countrywide investigations into the allegations. The findings are due to be made public in the near future.
Post published in: News