By Dorcas Rumano

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), has revealed that it will soon investigate Ecocash agents who are embroiled in underhand dealings of exorbitantly charging high tariffs on its mobile money transfer service to its clients.

Posting on its official twitter handle, ZACC said it has received a number of complains pertaining Ecocash agents who are taking advantage of the current cash shortages and selling cash at high rates.  

ZACC twitted that, “We are concerned about the volumes of isolated reports we have received in connection with Ecocash agents manipulating the cash ecosystem to their unfair advantage by selling cash and at prohibiting rates. We are aware that this practice is enabled and supported at a systematic level.

“An investigation has been opened which must determine and charge the real perpetrators behind this rot. We hope that Econet Zimbabwe and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will also look into this seriously to bring an urgent and lasting solution.

“We believe that in order to effectively fight corruption, all avenues that promote corruption regardless of size must be shut with urgency and we look forward to work with all stakeholders in such scenarios to actively close these pilferage opportunities.”

Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee today, which was receiving oral evidence from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) on the payments for Command Agriculture, RBZ Deputy Governor, Mr Kupukile Mlambo said the Central bank will move a step ahead in fighting the issue of high tariff costs by Ecocash agents.

Mr Mlambo said, “We are aware of the Ecocash issue and we are trying to see if we can deal with it. Remember we did not have instruments to use to deal with these issues and used moral persuasion but now we can go beyond that.”