Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
Key stakeholders in the fight against corruption convened in Harare on Monday to officially commence the assessment of the country’s performance against regional anti-graft targets, as specified by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) anti-corruption monitoring and evaluation framework.
The workshop, which began on Monday and ends today, is a critical exercise mandated by the SADC Protocol Against Corruption. It requires member states to annually compile statistics for peer review among SADC ministers.
Attendees include the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Financial Intelligence Unit among others.
Civil society watchdog groups such as Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) and the Zimbabwe Women Against Corruption Trust (ZWACT) are also participating.
Speaking during the official opening, ZACC Commissioner, Dr Obson Matunja, reiterated the Government’s recognition of multi-stakeholder involvement.
“The Government of Zimbabwe recognises the importance of stakeholder collaboration in the fight against corruption. As such, the work by our respective institutions is interconnected.
“Your role here is to provide information that proves this interconnectedness of our work. The data in the country report must reflect a comprehensive and accurate multi-faceted approach to eradicating the scourge of graft.”
The compilation of the report is guided by the SADC Regional Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
The report will be submitted to the SADC Anti- Corruption Committee in fulfilment of Article 11 of the SADC Protocol Against Corruption, which calls for State Parties to report on the progress made in the implementation of the Protocol.
ZACC monitoring and evaluation manager, Ms Sifikile Moyo, said this marks the third report Zimbabwe is assembling for the SADC secretariat.
“This is our third report in the country that we are combining and we submit to the SADC Secretariat and the report is usually discussed amongst ministers within the SADC region where they are tracking,” she said.
“Most of the indicators there, the 17 of them, are to do with whether you have got a national anti-corruption strategy, how are you fighting corruption in terms of cases completed, prosecutions, convictions that are done related to corruption.
“It has to do with the money laundering, illicit financial outflows and how are you preventing corruption in terms of corruption risk assessment, in terms of corruption reports and also in terms of training the public and the private sector with regards to the prevention of corruption. The SADC Secretariat requires the report.”
She also expressed confidence that the deadline for the report submission would be met.
“According to timelines, the report is supposed to be submitted by January, 6, 2026 and I believe we are on the right track.”
Ms Sandra Matendere from the Zimbabwe Women Against Corruption Trust, acknowledged the visible progress made by the country in the fight against corruption.
“We are happy that as civil society organisations, through our awareness campaigns, we are participating in and fitting into the national anti-corruption agenda. We are also satisfied with the improvement in the number of corruption cases that are reaching the courts.”
