Bulawayo’s mayor David Coltart has questioned whether Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption drive is targeting powerful offenders or merely “small fish”, as councillors and officials met to sign integrity pledges aimed at promoting ethical leadership.
Coltart told councillors and officials on Monday that signing integrity pledges linked to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) would mean little without genuine personal change and visible action against high-level corruption.
“These are not light pledges that we are signing,” Coltart said at the meeting held at Bulawayo City Hall. “We are prepared to sign documents like this in public, but the question is whether it translates into any fundamental change in the way we conduct ourselves.”
He urged leaders to reflect honestly on their conduct, saying integrity begins with individuals rather than paperwork.
“We can fool everyone around us. We can sign as many documents as we like, but ultimately God knows and God judges,” Coltart said. “When you sign this today, do it in a sober fashion. Reflect on our role where we have not acted with integrity.”
The mayor said integrity pledges should represent a two-way commitment between councils and anti-corruption bodies.
“It’s us signing the pledge, but it is also ZACC pledging that they are going to assist us to tackle corruption,” he said.
Coltart also raised concerns about the handling of corruption cases nationally, suggesting that enforcement appears selective.
“Often we see ZACC going for the small fish, not the large fish,” he said. “We see people handing out gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and we wonder where that money comes from, yet we do not see any action being taken.”
He stressed that the pledge must have impact beyond councillors and local authorities.
“This is an existential pledge affecting our nation,” Coltart said. “We expect to see this pledge taken to all levels of society and, where corruption is obvious, we want to see it tackled.”
ZACC Executive Secretary Shepherd Manhivi said the commission was committed to strengthening prevention measures alongside investigations.
“We assure you that we will leave no stone unturned,” Manhivi said. “Prevention is equally important. Prevention is better than cure.”
He described local authorities as central to citizens’ daily lives, citing their role in land allocation, procurement, housing development, licensing and service delivery.
“These are high-impact functions that directly affect communities and involve significant public resources,” Manhivi said. “For this reason, local authorities have been categorised as a corruption risk area. This is not an accusation, but a reality.”
Manhivi said the appropriate response was to tighten systems and controls rather than become defensive.
“We are aiming to build a culture of integrity,” he said.
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