Addressing a press conference in Harare today, ZimRights Director, Okay Machisa, said that the police had denied them permission to conduct a peaceful protest.
"The police denied us permission on the basis that we had not cited in our letter the regalia which our people would be putting on and …the organisations that would be participating," he said.
Machisa said there were no legal provisions to provide such information.
"According to the provisions of the Public Order and Security Act this is way offside. We are making legal consultations and we are in the process of making sure that what we wanted happens in another way," he said.
The CSOs issued a statement at a press conference today deploring the "endemic levels of corruption" in the country.
"We would like to register our sternest disapproval of the breakdown of public accountability, widespread corruption in public institutions and death of conscience in public officials who have become shockingly parasitic," a statement signed by 66 CSOs declared.
In the statement, the CSOs condemned the siphoning of "large millions of public funds through obscene salaries, and shadowy transactions".
"We therefore demand that the Government of Zimbabwe take corrective measures to bring sanity and sobriety to our nation".
The organisations criticised the government for failing to provide moral leadership on good corporate governance.
They called for the institution of a commission of inquiry to investigate the "obscene salary saga" and other underhand dealings in the public sector.
"This should also include, where necessary, carrying out forensic audits in suspected sectors so as to globally expose the extent of this problem," the statement said.
The salaries scandals and fraud cases that have been unearthed in the public sector have brought into question the role of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.
Government should allow "the anti corruption commission and other institutions such as Parliament of Zimbabwe and local authorities to perform their oversight role without hindrance from the executive".
The CSOs called on President Robert Mugabe to walk the talk on corruption.
"The President must be seen to be dealing with ministers and any other government officials who have been fingered in corrupt activities,"
said the CSOs.
In past weeks, several State enterprises' chief executives and boards have been exposed for fraudulently and corruptly awarding themselves hefty salaries and allowances.
Post published in: News