Anti-corruption body calls for integrity among leaders

by ABDALLAH MSUYA

ZANZIBAR Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Authority (ZAECA) has reminded grassroots leaders to be patriotic and show integrity while executing their duties, especially when it comes to fighting corruption.

The authority urged shehas and ward leaders to fight corruption and ensure they protect public properties and assets, while warning the local leaders against indulging themselves in economic crimes. Speaking during one-day training for local authorities, ZAECA’s Public Education Officer, Mr Sheha Kombo Hamad observed that some leaders were abusing their power and embezzling public offices, which is against the country’s laws.
Mr Hamad said public leaders must maintain their integrity by protecting public properties under their custodian, avoid being greedy and stay away from corruption and other economic crimes.
“The impact of corruption is severe to the country as a whole and at the individual level. Corruption and economic crimes undermine governance, denies people of their right to good services and affects the country’s economic growth,” he said.
He said all holders of public offices must stand up against corruption and warned them against any attempt to misappropriate public resources for their personal interests, saying the anticorruption authority will exercise zero tolerance to embezzlers. Mr Hamad said the government in collaboration with ZAECA has devised a strategic plan to fight all forms of corruptions and economic crimes as well as plug all loopholes from central to local government levels.
He said citizens were primary victims of such corruption malpractices and that the anti-corruption authority was keen to bring the vice to an end and ensure the people enjoy their basic rights. He said among measures taken by the government to plug the loopholes include enactment of various Acts like the Exercise Duty Act, the Finance (Public Revenue Management) Act and Zanzibar Public Leaders’ Code of Ethics (Amendment) Act, all of 2017.
Apart from plugging corruption and economic crimes’ loopholes, he said, the laws make provisions for legal measurers against public leaders, who would be caught up abusing their power and their offices for personal gains. On their side, the local leaders asked the authority to conduct thorough investigation in all government institutions in order to uncover all corrupt practices, including those involving ‘big fishes’ in public offices.