Source: NatPharm tightens governance with integrity pledges – herald
Trust Freddy
Zimpapers Correspondent
THE National Pharmaceutical Company board and senior management yesterday signed individual integrity pledges with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission as the State enterprise moves to tighten procurement systems and curb the leakage of essential medicines.
The signing ceremony, held in Harare yesterday, marked a public commitment to ethical leadership and accountability at the institution responsible for storing and distributing medicines to public health facilities countrywide.
ZACC chairperson Mr Michael Reza commended NatPharm for improving its governance systems, highlighting the institution’s attainment of an unqualified audit opinion for the 2025 financial year.
“In today’s governance environment, entities are judged not only by the services they provide but also by the ethical standards upon which those services are delivered,” said Mr Reza.
“NatPharm occupies a critical position within Zimbabwe’s healthcare system. Integrity within the institution is not simply an administrative issue but an essential requirement, as its mandate directly impacts the availability of medicines and medical supplies.”
Mr Reza said the healthcare sector remained highly sensitive because it directly concerns human life, making it critical to address any governance weaknesses or abuse of office.
He also applauded NatPharm for introducing an independent whistleblower facility, the Axcentium Ethics Line, and establishing Integrity Committees to coordinate corruption prevention initiatives.
“Strong institutions are built on capable leadership. The existence of a fully constituted board and the filling of seven out of eight critical management positions reflect institutional stability and commitment to strengthening leadership capacity,” he said.
Mr Reza urged management to ensure the integrity pledges go beyond being “symbolic declarations” and become guiding principles in procurement and financial management systems.
Addressing concerns over the disappearance of medicines, NatPharm board chairperson Professor Chiratidzo Ellen Ndlovu said the institution was upgrading its surveillance and inventory management systems to safeguard medical supplies.
“We’ve signed these pledges and I’m hoping that when you put the information out there to the public, you realise that we are not the ones who are really stealing the medicines,” said Prof Ndlovu.
“The tendency is always to look at that from the inside if there are no medicines.”
Prof Ndlovu said NatPharm was strengthening its Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) and inventory tracking systems to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain.
“We are very sure that what is going into our warehouses is delivered to facilities where it’s supposed to go. We are also putting in CCTV cameras; we are trying our best to make sure that products do not disappear,” she said.
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