Thread by @OpenParlyZw

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: CORRUPTION IS NOT ENDING BECAUSE OF CATCH AND RELEASE

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: Thank you, Hon. President for giving me this opportunity to debate on corruption. Corruption is a disease, a cancer or a pandemic that has spread the world over. Zimbabwe is also included.

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: I would like to thank Sen. Muzenda for bringing up such a very good motion. I also like to appreciate contributions that have come up. Corruption indeed starts from an individual, be it at household level, it may spread to the local community& to national level.

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: The problem why we are not properly handling corruption is that you hear the issue of catch and release. You hear that people have been arrested because of corruption, but later you hear that they are released. @ComradeFatsooo @ZACConline @MunyaBloggo @kubatana

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: It is very important to have people who are really trained and well educated on how corruption issues are handled with evidence being brought up, not because sometimes because of politics.

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: Sometimes as women, we may be oppressed because of poverty, but on the issue that we are debating, people must be well trained.

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: Sometimes there are elections that are going on, sometimes people are chosen through corrupt ways and sometimes people may generate a story on social media that alleges corruption. @ZACConline @ZECzim @ercafrica @ZESN1

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: For example, upon Chief Charumbira but what I am saying is as MPs, we must have oversight. Let us not allow people to be tarnished their images through social media whereby any allegation is taken& considered as real without proper consideration or investigation

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: The law says you are innocent until proven guilty. If you are arrested and if there is a real issue not when someone just comes up with an issue – that you are arrested without evidence or investigation and then it becomes as if it is catch and release.

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: Yet, it will only be out of suspicion. We must be seen to be serious and the President must be respected for that. The problem is that there are a lot of false allegations that are going on.

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: So, no one will take us seriously and we will score lowly when it comes to the index. Human dignity should be considered when there are arrests or allegations. When there is an investigation, there should be a good investigation.

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: Law enforcement agents should be well trained to separate rumours and reasonable allegations. Let us not act upon rumours because by the time we get to the courts, it will become just mere allegations that will not stand and it becomes a ‘catch and release’.

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: Otherwise we end up losing credibility because of that and it is as if this ‘catch and release’ was just meant for propaganda. Let us ensure that we investigate properly so that Govt does not face litigations or being sued. @ComradeFatsooo @Wamagaisa @kubatana

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: Investigators should work on fact and not hearsay or rumours. I thank you, Hon. President for giving me this opportunity. Human Rights and people’s rights must be considered in investigations. @ZACConline @PoliceZimbabwe @ComradeFatsooo @zimlive @MunyaBloggo

PRISCA MUPFUMIRA: People must be arrested only when there are reasonable grounds and not when there are rumours because it becomes a ‘catch and release’ and sometimes you destroy people’s lives because of basing on rumours that are posted on social media. I thank you.