Corruption may be
rational individually but socially and economically it is indefensible and
inefficient. In Zimbabwe things are not going to change overnight because too
many people have benefitted from corruption and bribes. Many will cling on and
claw back to preserve their ill-gotten gains. It is not only those in positions
of authority who have benefited but many ordinary citizens have fallen
prey to the corruption snare. The
recurrent issues police bribes are not a simple case of removing the spot fines
and the problem is eradicated. That is just wishful thinking. There are indeed
structural problems that need to be thoroughly investigated and addressed.
Simply saying no spot fines is not going to resolve the deep-rooted causes that
influence police corruption. Police officers are human and like most
Zimbabweans affected by the tough economic conditions, they are indeed fallible.
This is not in any way meant to excuse corrupt tendencies, however if the
proposed changes to payment systems of the spot fines, there is a likelihood of
police officers simply accepting even reduced bribes. The problem is not the
spot fines, but rather the excessive numbers of road blocks on the roads. On
some roads there seem to be more road blocks than street lights and it is
shocking. The disproportionately high number of roadblocks is what is indeed
fuelling and sustaining the corruption. Those are the structural problems that
need to be changed, yes there are instances where road blocks or police
presence is necessary, but some of it has just become a police get-together to
extract some money out of the public.
Corruption is a culture
and an attitude that has firmly rooted itself in the Zimbabwe psyche and
society at large. It comes in the form of a relationship, there are both givers
and takers in the corruption matrix. In an ideal world this unhealthy
relationship would be easily ended by cancelling out the giver to starve off
the taker. But we live in the real world, the world of poverty and hardship,
the world of impatience and the world where people pay bribes and where police
officers solicit these bribes. The difficulties faced by many are the same that
affect police officers and unfortunately for motorists, the police officers
make life difficult for many.
The bureaucracy involved
in police administration put off motorists accepting tickets and many find it
less time-consuming to just pay the reduced spot fine fee in the form of a
bribe. Thus it is commendable that Minister Chombo is talking of the
introduction of a system that will side line the police officer on the road
completely. However, unless backed up by very easy-to-use electronic payment
system, it is unlikely going to effectively curb the payment and taking of
bribes. Many motorists are most likely going to find it cheaper and less
cumbersome to offer bribes to police officers to get on with their journeys and
avoid the rigours of having to go to some bureaucratic office somewhere and
queue to pay for that ticket. It is a nightmare all round in this uncouth pool
of corruption and bribery in the country. It is distressing having as many as
four roadblocks all in a very short stretch of road and public offices are not
the most pleasant places to visit. The administrators are arrogant and not very
friendly, and as such most people are likely going to opt for the easier route
of paying the bribe by the roadside to have the issue resolved instantly with
no time consuming bureaucracy ahead. Once again this is not in any way meant to
condone corruption or bribery, both on the part of the officers and motorists.
An effective and easy
to use electronic payment system will do the trick. It is a fact that most
motorists are going to compromise with corrupt officers to avoid the prolonged
processes and procedures of going to pay for the ticket. The difficult is that
corruption among law enforcement officials is a fact of life and deeply
embedded in their DNA. Depriving the law enforcement officials of their
unofficial “regular income” source is most likely going to make them more
inventive and adapt to new ways of extracting bribes. They are likely going to
make things very unbearable for drivers so as to make them pay the bribes by
the roadside.
The problem with
corruption and letting corrupt practices go without punishment is that it
erodes trust people have in law enforcement and drains the much needed resources
to revive the ailing Zimbabwe economy. The problem is that we are targeting
only the physical symptoms of corruption and leaving out the real root of the
evil. Harsher penalties should be imposed for wayward officers as a long term
solution to the corruption endemic. The recent reports of some officials
(ZIMRA) on allegations of corruption being transferred does not build
confidence, it simply erodes confidence in the whole system. There has to real
consequences for those who break the law and engage in corrupt practices, not a
pat on the back. How the use of satellite monitoring is going to work at
roadblocks in combating corruption remains to be seen, but it seemed very far-fetched.
The real problem is not
exactly the issue of the payment method, but rather the whole issue around spot
fines. That needs to be overhauled completely and maybe replaced by a points
based system. A point based system deters and it also gives motorists time. It
is educative and not merely punitive. There are instances where fines are
necessary but spot fines are too subjective and hence why the issues of bribes
are never going away. The one thing that needs to be addressed urgently is the
disproportionately high number of roadblocks on the roads. The road blocks are
excessive and in many instances unnecessary. The proliferation of the many
roadblocks is exactly one of the root causes of corruptions. Zimbabwe does not
have that many cars on the road to warrant that many roadblocks. It’s as if
most policing resources are being diverted to road policing and yet real
criminals mugging people and breaking into people’s properties are being left
unattended.
There is something
seriously wrong with the unrestricted numbers of road blocks on Zimbabwe’s
roads. Police are mounting road blocks in rush hour traffic as people are
heading to work and this potentially prove costly to businesses. Yes, agreed
there are too many vehicles that are not roadworthy and these should not be on
the roads period. The problem is that police stops these vehicles, accept
bribes and these unsafe vehicles are recycled back onto the roads and one would
not be far off the mark to suggest that is deliberate ploy to recycle the
vehicles to solicit bribes on another day.
It is such a shame that
police officers are busy congregating on certain road spots and yet there are
buses and combis causing death by dangerous driving on the roads. Those are
recurrent themes that need to be addressed. Trucks and passenger carrying
vehicles such as long journey buses should have tachograph rules. There should
be stiffer penalties for speeding drivers. There should be hours-of-service
regulations and drivers’ hours’ regulations that must be adhered. These are
real issues that need to be addressed urgently. Week in, week out there is a
major accident and many lives lost and yet we have roadblocks even in
neighbourhoods.
Both the police and the
public are partners in the bribery ring and they should be partners in the
fight against it. Corruption is a two-way street and that moment the two
parties stop making excuses for themselves, the better the outcomes in the
fight against corruption.
bernardbwoni.blogspot.com
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