Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) General Phillip Valerio Sibanda is reported to be battling high-level corruption within the military.
This follows the nabbing of ZDF director of procurement, Peter Muchakadzi and two other officers by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on fraud allegations. NewsDay quotes its source as saying about General Sibanda:
He is a strict person who does not accept corruption. A number of army officers have been court-martialled and sent home after being caught on the wrong side, but there seems to be a huge appetite for corruption within the high-ranking officers.
Media reports claim there is rampant corruption in the military, with the top brass helping themselves to fuel, meat and other accessories.
Army commanders are said to be concerned with a rise in indiscipline in the ranks, poorly paid soldiers going AWOL, and some being arrested for armed robberies.