Zimbabwe slides further on the corruption index

ZIMBABWE has continued to perform dismally in fighting graft after scoring 24 out of 100, below the regional average of 33 on the Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index.

Transparency International, a global coalition against corruption which reviews the consumer price index (CPI) of 180 countries, released its global graft index, giving Zimbabwe a staggering 149/180.

The index offers an annual snapshot of the relative degree of public sector corruption by ranking countries and territories from all over the globe taking into account bribery, use of public office for private gain, State capture, prosecution of corrupt officials just to mention a few.

Speaking at the launch of the CPI in Harare yesterday, Transparency International Zimbabwe executive director Tafadzwa Chikumbu said countries at the top of the CPI tended to have stronger rule of law and well-functioning democratic institutions and political stability.

"As a measure of public sector corruption, the CPl does not capture activities such as money laundering or foreign bribery. This is precisely where high-scoring countries' main weaknesses lie," he said.

Chikumbu implored Zimbabwe to strengthen the independence of the justice system. "Shielding the justice system from interference is paramount for its functioning. Promote merit-based rather than political appointments and ensure that the system has qualified personnel and is properly resourced.

"Transparency can help shed light on the functioning of the justice system. Ensure that relevant data on judgments, out-of-court settlements and enforcement as well as legal procedure and administrative rules are openly available and can be scrutinised by members of the public," Chikumbu said.

He, however, called for the expansion of avenues for accountability in grand corruption cases.

"Where grand corruption schemes are carried out in countries with justice systems that are "unwilling or unable" to enforce against the offenders, justice institutions in foreign jurisdictions with stronger rule of law can play a crucial role in countering impunity by handling the grand corruption proceedings.

"This calls for those foreign countries to have in place key procedural measures, such as extensive jurisdiction, minimal immunities for foreign State officials, standing for qualified public interest CSOs to pursue those cases and represent victims and a broad definition of justiciable harm that encompasses widespread harm to a large number of victims," he said.

Meanwhile, prosecutor-general Justice Loyce Matanda-Moyo affirmed her commitment to the eradication of corruption within the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe and the justice delivery system as a whole.

She also said while the CPI was a valuable tool in the fight against corruption, it was quite unfortunate that the global corruption agenda focused more on corruption issues in the developing countries, yet ill-gotten wealth is hidden in developed countries.

"It is unfortunate that when people partake of corruption they rarely think of those who will be affected. They only think of themselves. Corruption affects every facet of our society, from healthcare, infrastructure, roads, education and the environment," Matanda-Moyo said.

"There is a need to create a strong Anti-Corruption ecosystem in Zimbabwe by bringing on board all stakeholders to be part of the fight against corruption." For the past 10 years Zimbabwe's global Corruption Perception Index was at 23/100.