United Kingdom based journalist Simba Chikanza has denied taking bribes from the ruling party ZANU-PF

In a lengthy post on social media, Simba said bribes destroy the nation and professionalism of an individual.

Below is what he wrote

Bribes don’t come as mere money, they are also in the form of vain glory, or what some call “Likes and Retweets”. Many people have built castles smearing others, thinking this is “kusvika in heaven.”

I purposed in my heart after learning a lesson during my mid 20s that I will never again look down on someone who has taken a bribe, my work should be not to condemn, but to help the fallen out of their mess. Although I’ve never at any time of my life touched a bribe, my country, Zim, is built on dirty money from its foundations, so the moment I start behaving like Mr Clean Clean, I put down my very own kinsmen.

I’ve never received a bribe in my life, but I will never at any time look down on those who have. My toil will be to help lift them out of trouble.

My commitment for fairness goes back to my High School days, when I used to spare half of my boarding breakfast sandwiches for the poorer, for which reason I earned the title Reverend. Many of my peers, Emmanuel Chindove, Masimba Machipisa and hundreds others remember these days, when I would rather go hungry so that others can have something.

Between 2008 and today, I’ve turned down many offers from politicians, and business people alike. It’s for this reason Emmerson Mnangagwa and his party have no hold on me.

This enables my freedom so I can report openly and fairly, while helping me to serve the most oppressed members of our community.

Bribes don’t come as mere money, they are also in the form of vain glory, or what some call “Likes and Retweets”. So many people have built castles smearing others, thinking this is “kusvika in heaven” Some became fakely popular that they swam into Croc fested waters and forgot that when a croc smiles at you, it’s time to turn back and run. A certain childhood friend who built his entire social media career from falsely claiming he was the cause of my success, got recently spied on by his pub mate who is a Chipangano member. Many say he was poisoned, got ill and was too proud to ask for help, when it was available. He is no more, may his soul rest in peace.

One lawyer, colleague and friend who was more senior to this late friend, NAME WITHHELD, the respected Arthur Gwagwa, in a eulogy, says this friend of ours, “spread himself too quick and too thin among so many people who neither knew him or cared for him and lost touch with the very people who truly cared for him.”

Bribes kill journalism, and every other profession and facet of society. When will our nation be free of bribes? How will it be done? A lot of love and humility will be needed to heal our land.