By Agencies
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), the nation’s frontline defense against graft, has been hit by an explosive internal crisis following stunning revelations that its massive ongoing recruitment drive has been systematically rigged to favor politically connected individuals.
Integrity and meritocracy have reportedly been thrown out the window in an exercise insiders describe as a coordinated system of influence over appointments and strategic deployments. The scandal directly implicates ZACC Chairperson Michael Reza, a fierce former public prosecutor, and Commissioner Zalerah Makari, a former ZANU-PF legislator for Epworth who now oversees the commission’s human resources portfolio.
The controversy stems from a large-scale recruitment drive launched under Advert 1 of 2026, which concluded on March 2. The anti-graft body advertised a litany of highly strategic positions, including the general manager of investigations, provincial heads, managers, legal officers, compliance and systems review officers, audit, risk, and procurement officers. However, highly placed sources within the commission have blown the whistle, revealing that the entire process is a farce marred by manipulated interviews, shady shortlists, and patronage networks.
A close source within the commission told The Harare Times that the interviews are now a mere formality. In most recent cases, decisions were already made before candidates even entered the interview rooms.
Candidates are reportedly shortlisted before interviews and then taken through the motions before they are given jobs, a practice blasted as unprofessional, nepotistic, and deeply corrupt. For instance, out of a larger pool of applicants, about 35 candidates were shortlisted to compete for 11 vacant posts. Yet, insiders claim the successful candidates had already been handpicked, leaving the rest to participate in a sham process.
According to sources, preferred candidate lists were compiled long before the interview dates and circulated directly to shortlisting committees and influential individuals. At the center of the storm is General Manager of Human Resources Humphrey Magorimbo, who allegedly conveyed the preferred names to recruitment panels on behalf of Makari’s department. While Magorimbo is facing separate, damning allegations from insiders claiming some of his colleagues have attempted to extort prospective employees, he has reportedly shifted the blame upstairs. Sources state that Magorimbo told disgruntled committee members that his hands are tied, suggesting he was merely acting on absolute directives from the executive. One source explicitly quoted Magorimbo as justifying the manipulation in Shona, allegedly telling committee members: “Ndizvo zvataurwa nevakuru” (That is what has been decreed by the bosses). Another insider corroborated this, stating bluntly that they were told the shortlists were instructions from senior authorities.
The brewing scandal has turned the spotlight squarely onto ZACC Chairperson Michael Reza. A feared and uncompromising former public prosecutor at the Harare Magistrates Court, Reza is no stranger to controversy. He was once fiercely described by former Finance Minister Tendai Biti as a hired gun weaponized to persecute opposition politicians and civil society activists. Analysts warn that these latest allegations of institutional capture, nepotism, and structural chaos severely undermine ZACC’s constitutional mandate. As an agency legally tasked with combating systemic corruption and enforcing integrity within public and private sectors, its own internal hiring standards directly dictate its public credibility and operational capacity. By allowing patronage to override merit, critics say ZACC is fast losing the moral authority to investigate other corrupt state entities. Efforts to obtain a comment from Reza were unsuccessful, as repeated calls to his mobile phone went completely unanswered
