The Anti-Corruption Commission of Southern Africa Trust (ACT-SA) has accused attendants at Kwekwe General Hospital of allegedly demanding bribes from grieving families in exchange for expedited clearance of their deceased relatives from the mortuary.
In a statement released on Thursday, ACT-SA director Obert Chinhamo claimed that hospital attendants are reportedly soliciting bribes on behalf of doctors to fast-track the necessary paperwork. 
Chinhamo also expressed concern that the doctors involved may be unaware of the corrupt actions of certain personnel at the hospital’s mortuary, which could be tarnishing their professional reputations. Said Chinhamo:
<blockquote>
ACT-SA has received with concern unfortunate developments at Kwekwe General Hospital in which mourners face difficulties to retrieve bodies of their ones from the mortuary for burial before certain payments are allegedly made to some officials at the mortuary.
It is alleged that these officials at the mortuary solicit money, which they say is for doctors to enable them to sign certain documents before the bodies can be retrieved from the mortuary for burial. The fact that the monies paid are not receipted, raises suspicion of corruption.
</blockquote>
However, the hospital’s Acting Medical Superintendent, Dr Bruce Mhondiwa, has dismissed the allegations.
Dr Mhondiwa urged anyone who has made such payments to come forward and report the matter to both the police and the hospital administration. He said:
<blockquote>
It’s actually a surprise to me because normally burial orders are for free. Doctors normally write burial orders every morning. I haven’t received any complaints.
Normally we complaints raised at the hospital and it is protocol in the Ministry of Health and Childcare to investigate the complaints and redress the problems and the complaints within seven days.
I urge the community if they are facing challenges at our mortuary to contact the Medical Superintendent over the challenges. We say no to corruption, we don’t want corruption.
No one is supposed to pay for that, there is no fee for that. It’s for free. Please let them come out so that we help them.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://masvingomirror.com/kwekwe-mortuary-staff-demanding-bribes-corruption-body/">The Mirror</a>

Pindula News

The Anti-Corruption Commission says workers at Kwekwe General Hospital are taking bribes from families who want to get bodies from the mortuary. They ask for money to make paperwork go faster. The hospital says they don't know about this and they don't charge for paperwork. They want people to report any bribes they were asked for. The director of the Anti-Corruption Commission is worried that this is ruining the reputation of the doctors. The hospital's Acting Medical Superintendent says they will investigate any complaints and solve them within seven days.

Kwekwe General Hospital Mortuary Attendants Accused Of Demanding Bribes From Mourning Families

The Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) has condemned the illegal alluvial gold riverbed mining activities taking place at MaDollar dam in the Sessombi area of Zhombe, Kwekwe, disguised as dam scooping, allegedly protected by law enforcement and local authorities.
In a statement, the ACT-SA chairperson Alouis Munyaradzi Chaumba said his organisation and its officials have been threatened by an organised crime syndicate involved in the activities for exposing their illegal mining activities. <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/outrage-over-illegal-alluvial-gold-mining-syndicate-polluting-dams-chinese-chief-and-politicians-fingered-in-unholy-confluence-of-corruption/">Said Chaumba</a>:
<blockquote>
This unholy confluence of corruption, patronage, and state-sanctioned impunity has effectively rendered the illegal mining activities immune to any form of legal consequence, thus perpetuating a cycle of exploitation and injustice that shows no signs of abating.
In an audacious display of audacity and intimidation, Chief Gwesela, a member of the MaDollar dam syndicate and a traditional leader in the region, issued ominous threats against the ACT-SA regional director through WhatsApp.
Despite the gravity of these threats, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, operating out of the Kwekwe Central Police Station, refused to accept a report of the incident from the ACT-SA director, a blatant violation of their duty to uphold the law and ensure the safety of citizens.
</blockquote>
ACT-SA has demanded that all those implicated in illegal alluvial riverbed mining should be held accountable for their actions. Said Chaumba:
<blockquote>
Members of the syndicate conducting these illegal alluvial riverbed mining activities should be held accountable for their actions.
The participation of the Zibagwe Rural District Council’s chief executive officer and Hardrock Mine should be probed, especially on the circumstances that led to the granting of the dam scooping authorisation that appears to have no applicant.
It should also be in the public interest to expose the high profile politically exposed individual or individuals who are alleged to be part of the syndicate and providing protection to all those on the ground.
It is alleged that the syndicate members are openly telling people that they will not stop the illegal mining activities because of the backing that they enjoy from some individuals who have political muscles.
</blockquote>
The ACT-SA report has been shared with several government agencies, including the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the President, calling for an immediate investigation into a syndicate involved in illegal alluvial riverbed mining.
ACT-SA has demanded urgent action from authorities to investigate the issuance of dam scooping authorizations, halt illegal mining, confiscate equipment, and hold perpetrators accountable.
The organisation also called for compensation for affected farmers and accountability for those abusing their power in this matter.
It urged the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) and other authorities to thoroughly investigate the involvement of Chinese parties in these illegal activities.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

An organization called ACT-SA is angry about people mining for gold illegally at a dam in Zimbabwe. The group says the mining is polluting the dam and harming the environment. They are mad that some powerful people are protecting the illegal miners. The organization has asked for an investigation into the illegal mining and for the people involved to be punished. They want the government to take action to stop the illegal activities, confiscate equipment, and help the farmers affected. The group also wants to know if Chinese people are involved in the illegal mining.

ACT-SA Condemns Illegal Gold Mining At MaDollar Dam Disguised As Scooping

The Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) says doctors who work in government hospitals should not be allowed to operate private businesses such as private hospitals, pharmacies and others as it may be in conflict with their duties and responsibilities.
ACT-SA director, Obert Chinhamo said medical personnel employed by the government now spend most of their business hours working at their private businesses thereby negatively affecting service delivery in government hospitals. Chinhamo was quoted by <a href="https://healthtimes.co.zw/2023/02/28/zim-anti-corruption-group-wants-doctors-banned-from-running-private-surgeries-and-pharmacies/">Health Times</a> as saying:
<blockquote>
ACT-SA is disturbed by reports that medical personnel especially doctors spend most of their time at their private establishments when they are supposed to be at government hospitals.
Sick patients queue for long hours waiting for them to come. In some cases, even when they come, they refer patients to their private businesses where these poor patients are forced to pay a lot of money.
My organisation proposes that no medical personnel should be allowed to open private businesses that conflict with their duties and responsibilities as civil servants.
In addition to improved remuneration, this is the only way that medical personnel could be found at work all the time when their services are needed most.
ACT-SA has for several years been receiving reports that doctors and other medical personnel are not found at work when patients come.
These patients who can not afford paying private doctors queue for long hours without being served.
It it because of this observation that ACT-SA calls for policy and law reform to prevent conflict of interest and improve service delivery.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Anti-Corruption Group Wants Doctors Banned From Operating Private Surgeries

Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) has said it is gravely concerned with the deteriorating health service delivery in Zimbabwe as they said people are having a hard time accessing basic health services which is resulting in needless deaths because of the prevailing socio-economic condition in the country that has lead to service delivery deteriorating further.
Speaking to the Zimbabwean Obert Chinhamo ACT-SA director said:
<blockquote>We are concerned that the poor continue to suffer and die due to neglect by the government. In most of the government sponsored health facilities health service delivery is very poor. Further the nurses are on strike and there seem to be no end to these quagmires because of a government which does not prioritize an investment in the health sector.
This leaves the poor who can not afford private doctors fees stranded. We have thus lost so many innocent lives. I personally visited a patient in Masvingo who was very sick but the medical facility turned the person away without even giving a pain killer. The government must urgently intervene lest we continue to lose human lives. Concerns raised by nurses and doctors must be addressed. In addition all those accused of corruption must be arrested.</blockquote>
The government has not commented much on the Health Workers’s strike after they cited incapacitation. While the health workers are on strike, the government bought the latest Discovery 6 for the Health Service Board(HSB) commissioners.
More: <a href="https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2020/07/the-govt-of-zimbabwe-should-be-held-accountabla-for-deaths-due-to-poor-health-service-delivery/">The Zimbabwean </a>

Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa Gravely Concerned By The Deteriorating Health Service Delivery In Zimbabwe

The shortage of medical drugs in public health institutions is partly attributable to theft by pharmacists and doctors, it has been claimed.
A report by the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (Act-SA) claimed that medical practitioners in government-run hospitals steal drugs from these institutions to benefit their private businesses. Act-SA chairperson David Jamali said:
<blockquote>Medical practitioners, particularly pharmacists and doctors, create drug shortages to benefit from referrals to their private businesses.
There is an increase in cases of drug theft and absence of doctors when they are supposed to be at work. In most cases, they are found at their private businesses.
That has left many patients unattended to and deaths of patients who are supposed to live.
… Drugs such as anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) and those for treating chronic diseases like diabetes were stolen from Masvingo General Hospital creating acute drug shortage of medicines as a strategy to push desperate patients to private pharmacies.</blockquote>
However, the report by Act-SA was dismissed by the Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZIMA) secretary-general, Sacrifice Chirisa, who said that the medical practitioners accused of theft were found not guilty.
He condemned the report as half-baked as it did not consider the shortage of skills in the country and the sacrifices being made by doctors to keep the health sector working.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2019/07/25/medical-staff-stealing-drugs-from-hospitals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daily News</a></h4>

Doctors Accused Of Stealing Drugs From Govt Hospitals

The newly-appointed Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) commissioners have been told to fight corruption independently without fear or favour.
The Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) said that ZACC should be given adequate resources to enable it to fulfil its mandate.
ACT-SA chairperson David Jamali said:
<blockquote>We are now happy that at least Zacc will be functional with a chairperson and commissioners, after a very long time. The commission now needs adequate resources to take the corruption fight to another level.
The people of Zimbabwe have suffered for far too long because of corruption. Zacc, this time around, should turn around the situation by fighting corruption independently and without fear or favour.</blockquote>
Jimali went on to say that Zimbabwe needs a national strategy to fight corruption, where the fight is not that of ZACC alone. He said:
<blockquote>… What is needed is a national anti-corruption strategy and action plan, developed through an inclusive and participatory process bringing all key stakeholders together and giving them a role to play.
That way, the fight against corruption is not going to the preserve of Zacc, alone, but everyone’s responsibility, including traditional leaders, the private sector, women, the youth and civil society organisations, among others. 
The fact that the country itself has no national anti-corruption strategy and plan poses a national threat.</blockquote>
Last week President Emmerson Mnangagwa swore in seven new ZACC commissioners. These were Fungai Jessie Majome, John Makamure, Gabriel Chaibva, Thandiwe Thando Mlobane, Frank Muchengwa, Retired Major Michael Dennis Santi and Kuziva Phineas Murapa.
The eighth person, Mabel Ndakaripa Hungwe, could not be sworn in as she was said to be out of the country.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/07/graft-watchdog-challenges-new-zacc-commissioners/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewsDay</a></h4>

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