Online Reporter
Daniel Chigunwe
Zimbabwe is building the requisite capacity among Government institutions and law enforcement agencies to combat illicit financial flows, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs deputy minister Advocate Nobert Mazungunye has said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) 25th Council of Ministers meeting being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he is leading the Zimbabwean delegation.
The meeting brings together senior officials and ministers from 21 member countries to assess progress in combating financial crimes and provide valuable input on strengthening anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks.
Zimbabwe is an active member of ESAAMLG, chairing the Risk Compliance and Financial Inclusion Working Group as well as Review Group D which reviews countries’ progress in the implementation of Anti-money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) requirements.
ESAAMLG fosters collaboration among member states to mitigate financial crimes and their socio-economic consequences, advancing regional resilience against illicit financial flows.
Deputy Minister Mazungunye highlighted that Zimbabwe has since been removed from the grey list on non-complying countries, adding that the ongoing deliberations of the ESAAMLG meetings will assist the country in its preparations for the upcoming Mutual Evaluation exercise scheduled to begin in June 2026.
“For Zimbabwe specifically, the meeting is crucial because ESAAMLG periodically assesses Zimbabwe’s technical compliance and effectiveness in implementing international AML/CFT standards, which is essential for maintaining its ability to transact on the international financial system,” he said.
“Zimbabwe has made significant progress in resolving technical compliance shortcomings identified in its 2016 Mutual Evaluation Report, and the meeting provides a platform for further discussion and improvement.
“Various pieces of legislation enacted for compliance has since seen Zimbabwe removed from the grey list, meanwhile we are building the requisite capacity among government institutions and law enforcement agencies to combat illicit financial flows.”
Among the countries attending the crucial meetings are Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, DRC, Mozambique, Eritrea, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi and Namibia.
The meeting further includes a Public-Private Sector Dialogue, offering a unique opportunity for governmental officials, policymakers and private sector representatives to exchange ideas and best practices on implementing anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism standards.
