Parliamentarians Urged to Curb Corruption by Declaring AssetsHARARE — An anti-corruption lobby group, the Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) on Thursday petitioned parliament calling on all legislators to declare their assets saying this will improve transparency and accountability issues in the country. CAC director, Terry Mutsvanga, delivered a petition to the speaker of the House of Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, urging the legislature to move a motion compelling all parliamentarians to declare their assets as they begin their five-year term of office following the July 31 polls. Mutsvanga said the declaration of assets by parliamentarians would be an important milestone in the fight against corruption in the country. Mutsvanga said legislators should not find it difficult to declare their assets if government is serious about fighting the scourge. At the official opening of the eighth parliamentary session last week, President Robert Mugabe took a swipe at corruption saying his government will do all it can to stamp it out. To this end, Mutsvanga said Mr. Mugabe’s call for an end to corruption must be supported, starting with the country’s elected officials. Since the majority of Members of Parliament were elected into the august house under a Zanu-PF ticket, Mutsvanga said he hopes legislators will heed their leader President Mugabe’s call for zero-tolerance on graft. Transparency International ranks Zimbabwe on position 163 in the world on its 2012 Corruption Perception Index, meaning graft levels in the country are among some of the highest worldwide.