BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA
As we approach the end of the year Zimbabweans are still engaged in a serious debate over the constructive criticism issued by Chief Murinye born Ephius Munodawafa. The issue has been picked by different people with different agendas but what Murinye did should be applauded. Murinye was very brave and his speech has become the best speech of the year.
The first point we need to clarify is that the chief never advocated for a coup. He simply issued a rhetoric question “ Todedza valerio here asunge matsotsi akapoteredza president”. This in every understanding of the word did not suggest a coup.
Many corrupt senior officers deliberately forgot everything said and held on to a coup story.
Many wished to deflect the the corruption rebuking statement and twisted the whole speech to appear as if the chief was advocating for a coup. Many tried to mislead the nation but in the world of social media does not know privacy.
What chief Murinye did is akin to what is referred to as Public Disclosure in the UK.
CAMPS
Two camps have been created in the country even in the party. ZANU PF as a party did not respond or comment pn the Murinye issue. But individual party cadres gave opposing conflicting views on chief Murinye.
Chief Murinye’s recent utterences at a funeral of Elson Gonye sparked controversy. ZANU PF chief whip honourable Pupurai Togarepi does not believe that chief Murinye did the right thing. He said “While corruption is a vice we must all fight however Chief Murinye is an idiot who thinks he can stop Zanu-PF from winning elections in 2023” in response to honourable Togarepi one reffered to as DT said “Honourable please do not politicize this very serious issue of Corruption. We’re very serious about it. It will cost you the vote if you trivialize it.
We really don’t care who represents us in Parliament but if you are perceived as being symogatgetic to Corruption just wait and see” This indicates that Zimbabweans received Chief Murinye’s statement as a fight against corruption. Zimbabwe needs people who fight corruption and a brave to disclose it. Honourable Pupurai Togarepi quipped back and said “I will never condone corruption however we know each other in our party. When someone speaks to the gallery to set a narrative its not acceptable. I support anyone who genuinely speaks against corruption. Here the Chief said he is Zanu-PF to the core yet we know his games. Why didn’t he mention the corrupt individuals? Why bringing the President’s name in all this? Anyone who is corrupt must be arrested and if he is fearless as he claims let him name and shame those involved. So in our Party we know each other very well as you shall get to know soon about his agenda shenanigans”
Honourable Togarepi is suggesting that Murinye is waging s war against the government of ZANU PF.
Despite honourable Togarepi’s belief of chief Murinye, Murinye has publicly confirmed that he is ZANU PF. His speech was an act of bravery for the same reason that he has been singled out for verbal thrashing and midnight plans to dethrone him.
If Murinye is to be dethroned it will be a sad day for Zimbabwe. ZANU PF must be seen to be fighting corruption and not protecting the thieves. Being castigated for crying out loud is corruption in itself.
So was the Chief wrong in pointing out corruption by big wigs. Shuro Ngonidzashe had a different view. He said “Chief was offside as a leader you don’t talk to the gallery, he should have known better about protocol “
But a Chief from Masholand East said “ chiefs are supporting Murinye. He was right to point out corruption. If cde Pupurai Togarepi listened to Chief Murinye’s follow up speeches he would have heard Murinye naming the corrupt minister in the President’s office. Murinye’s complaints are the complaints every chief has. Government officials are letting the President down. What we expect now is action to be taken against corruption not against Murinye. “
Many Zimbabweans are eagerly waiting to see if the government will act and protect Murinye from unwarranted injustices and most intolerable cruelty exerted on the chief for calling out corruption.
The vice President Chiwenga blasted Murinye. As a leader the vice president was right to lambast Murinye. But in this case he spoke to soon. He had not hone dipper in the speech and again in the briefing room before his speech he was filled with a wrong narrative.
Zimbabweans should know that there has been a fight between Chief Charumbira of the Shumba totem and Chief Murinye of the Moyo totem over the authority of the Great Zimbabwe. It is true that Murinye are the Gono Moyo and Great Zimbabwe is traditionally theirs. Chief Charumbira saw the Chief Murinye’s speech as an opportunity to take a killing punch on Murinye. Thus chief Charumbira told the VP in the briefing that Murinye calls himself Monomotapa. This was reported maliciously and it caused the VP to warn Murinye believing that being Monomotapa means you are above everybody. Culturally it is an insult to call a person with a totem which is not his. Thus calling a Shumba Murambwi Gono Monomotapa was wrong. That reduced the Shumba to a mere heart.
But what must we learn as a nation.
Many Zimbabweans applauded Murinye leading to Walter Mzembi nominating Chief Murinye of Masvingo as Zimbabwe’s Person of the Year for standing up to corruption. He however showed that he misunderstood chief Murinye when he thought that Murinye stood up to President Emmerson Mnangagwa over corruption and telling his deputy off for trying to scare him.
This is the mistake people are making. Murinye did not disrespect the president. He did not drag the president’s name in the mud. He actually advised the president on Corruption.
The traditional leader’s bravery earned him respect among many Zimbabweans, considering he risked losing his position.
Yes there are chiefs already plotting to ouster Murinye. Some in Murinye’s family members are now adding fuel to the fire so that they can take over his throne as a punishment.
They are hoping to use ZANU PF in their struggle to push Murinye aside.
What must be made clear is that ZANU PF does not encourage corruption. ZANU PF welcomes
Public disclosure. As a party it practices a principle of transparency and good governance. People are prone to make an error in life.
If there is no criticism the system develops unintended corruption and develop redundancy. What Murinye did was not a whirlwind it is a breadth of fresh oxygen.
Humanity is prone to err so whistle blowing is meant to achieve effectiveness.
Murinye’s speech must be used to avoid manipulation by self serving forces of darkness surrounding the president.
What Chief Murinye said was to fight Ineffectiveness in government his complaint was of a significant problem in his area and the country at large.
His complaint mist be followed up as it was intended to save life.
That speech by Chief Murinye was instructive of the underpining objective and purpose of Whistleblowing to save the party and the nation. It is to disclose not just pettiness, matters of gossip or destructive information of malicious intent but matters which are lodged on the hearts of the electorate. The intent and scope of any civilised Whistleblowing legislation or policy is to disclose mstters of substantial public interest and Murinye concludes the year with a charge and it is wise to embrace his complaints.
We must all remember that
the real reason for Whistleblowing is to ensure effective and transparent governance.
Whistleblowing is a recognition that all governance structures are no less limited than human nature. To acknowledge that we as human beings, including those that govern are subject to faults is not a weakness. It is a formidable strength. After that we allow measures to ensure friendly scrutiny and constructive criticism. Whistleblowing saves one such purpose, namely to bring in fresh eyes from outside to provide constructive criticism and friendly scrutiny. The party must not react in a manner which will be vindictive and discouraging others from coming forward to report.
Whistleblowing by Murinye is best likened to a breeze of fresh oxygen that comes into a room where the occupants nostril sensors are so accustomed to stale air that they may not register the stakeness in their nostrils’s sensors. However, whistleblowing is not a whirlwind. It is not there to destroy and cause turmoil, it is there to build and equip.
We must remember that Transparent governance is not a negation of state or local government secrecy or confidential information, including in relation to economic confidentiality, foward planning confidentiality of state security. No governance can be done on media forums and certaily transperancy in governance has nothing to do with media gymic.
Effective governance and transparent pertain to those issues of public interest. It is about exposing substantial flows and systemic corrupt practice. The legal term for this is Maladministration. Chief Murinye spoke from his heart without itching for a fight with his party or his government.
Generally in jurisdictions around the world, there are four areas that are covered by whistleblowing.
These are:
a. Matters of Health and Safety
b. Discriminative practices(based on ethnicity, gender, age etc)
c. Environmental hazard where decisions are adversely impacting on the environment, e.g local authority is not dealing with a situation where plastic material is piling up and pauses an environmental risk or where a manufacturing company is chanelling industrial waste into urban water courses).
d. Maladministration. This is the widest one which includes intentional corruption, systemic corruption, ineffectiveness, theft, failure to adhere to legislation or by laws.
The criteria set out above is called the substantive criteria, covering all the four. It is meant to define the scope of what can be subject to whistleblowing. Generally it excludes private affairs of people, including politicians who do not give up the right to privacy when they enter politics. However this is a nuanced area because there are instances where a politician’s private life may impact on their public life. Provided one can show that such a link has resulted into Maladministration, they can whistleblow. In this case one cannot whistleblow by just saying politician X is a prostitute. They must demonstrate that his private life or affairs have adversely impacted and caused issues of Maladministration, such as favouritism, nepotism, tribalism etc. Just saying they are a womaniser is not whistleblowing but is gossip. That on its own is not a matter of public interest at all and therefore cannot be a subject of whistleblowing.
Finally, after illustrating substantial substantive issues, the whistleblower must still demonstrate good faith. It is not enough to demonstrate that the four legged criteria above has been demonstrated. One must further demonstrate that such disclosure was or is for the public benefit: that it was not for personal motive or in the interests of rivalry or vindictiveness. Put simply, in law it must be done in good faith and in the public interest.
ZANU PF has a record of investigating corruption cases even if they involve big wigs. List Of Corruption Scandals In Zimbabwe which ZANU PF investigated. In 1987 there was Zisco Steel blast Furnace Scandal. This came out through a whistleblowing. In 1987 – Air Zimbabwe Fokker Plane Scandal gulping about $ 100 million. This was followed with 1986 National Railways Housing Scandal.
To prove that ZANU PF does not tolerate corruption in 1988 there was the Willowgate Scandal. The government set a commission of inquiry which resulted in many officials being arrested and fired from government this was exposed by G Nyarota. In 1989 ZRP Santana Scandal was again exposed by a whistle blower. We again as a nation remember the
1994 War Victims Compensation Scandal. The government moved quickly and set a commission of inquiry. We again remember the 1995 – GMB Grain Scandal an the then minister and senior officials arrested and fired from work and government.
So ZANU PF does not condone corruption. It is not attracted to corruption.
We conclude the year with pride as the party. Chief Murinye might have had negative comments but his actions have opened eyes. Corruption will never be tolerated.
As we step in the new year. we will remember that ZANU PF can be trusted. It does not threaten whistleblowers.
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