Online Reporter
Herald Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Belarus to strengthen collaboration in the fight against corruption.
The agreement, signed in Minsk yesterday, provides for the exchange of legislative and legal information, scientific and methodological recommendations, and strategies for the prevention and early detection of corruption.
It also covers cooperation in eliminating systemic weaknesses that enable corruption.
In addition, the two institutions will share experiences in promoting integrity among officials, advancing good corporate governance and supporting requests for extradition and mutual legal assistance in corruption-related criminal cases.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, ZACC chairperson Mr Michael Reza said Zimbabwe is currently reforming its anti-corruption legislation to make it more responsive to evolving challenges.
“Prevention of corruption is at the centre of our strategy, and we look forward to drawing from Belarus’ models for eliminating preconditions of corruption, particularly in sensitive sectors of the economy,” he said.
Mr Reza added that Zimbabwe’s vision of becoming an upper middle-income society by 2030 requires ethical leadership in both public and private institutions.
“Attainment of this vision requires ethical leadership in both public and private institutions. We therefore believe that there are valuable lessons to learn from Belarus on instilling integrity and professionalism across the spectrum of governance,” said Mr Reza.
The Prosecutor General of Belarus, Mr Andrey Shved, stated that the agreement would safeguard the commercial interests of both countries.
“The realisation of the already reached agreements and the exploration of new avenues of cooperation will help our countries get closer to each other and build up trade turnover volumes. It is necessary to take all possible measures to ensure viability and compliance in the operation of organisations of Belarus and Zimbabwe.”
Zimbabwe and Belarus have previously signed cooperation agreements in health, education, agriculture, defence, and security.
The new MoU on combating corruption further deepens relations that date back to 1992.
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