Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – The absence of whistle-blower and witness protection laws is impacting anti-corruption efforts in Zimbabwe by discouraging citizens from reporting crimes due to fear of reprisals, an official has said.
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) commissioner responsible for Prevention of Corruption and Corporate Governance, Chido Madiwa, said this on Monday during the launch of a consultative process to develop the Second National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS 2).
In 2021, ZACC embarked on the first National Anti-Corruption Strategy to combat corruption. Despite implementation challenges, the strategy yielded significant achievements that fundamentally strengthened the organisation’s capacity to fight graft.
“From the outset, I must admit that the significant pushback in our efforts has been the absence of a whistleblower and witness protection law. The unavailability of a national witness protection mechanism continues to discourage citizens from reporting corruption due to fear of reprisals. However, the implementation of our National Anti-Corruption Strategy yielded significant achievements that have fundamentally strengthened our institutional capacities,” she said.
She said in the implementation of NACS 1, ZACC established hard and soft measures that closed critical loopholes previously exploited by corrupt actors. Madiwa said the measures, complemented by robust legislative frameworks including procurement laws, asset recovery legislation, and criminal laws as well as the creation of institutional integrity committees and the signing of integrity pledges, assisted in the fight.
She said since the advent of the Second Republic, the anti-corruption machinery has undergone a significant transformation. “The system transformed from a fledgling body with limited resources into a formidable force equipped with highly trained personnel and clear mandates.
The establishment of specialised courts for corruption cases has improved prosecution processes, while our enhanced forensic capabilities have led to successful prosecutions of high-profile cases involving individuals previously considered untouchable,” she said.
Additionally, Madiwa noted that the government recently facilitated the acquisition of new operational vehicles for ZACC to enhance investigation and prevention activities. New Ziana “The digitization of government services under our first strategy, such as the processing and issuance of passports, taxpayer services, title deeds, company registry, land management, and procurement processes, has eliminated numerous opportunities for petty corruption,” she said.
“The automation of these services to reduce direct interaction between citizens and officials minimises opportunities for corrupt exchanges. This was a key success in achieving NACS 1’s objective to increase demand for transparency and accountability,” the Commissioner said.
Madiwa further said that while corruption remains a challenge, anti-corruption drives and public awareness campaigns have been intense and inclusive, fostering public consciousness of the scourge’s negative effects on social morals and national growth.
“Prevention mechanisms implemented during NACS 1 have proven particularly effective. The establishment of integrity committees within government ministries, local authorities, and other agencies has created internal oversight systems that detect and prevent corrupt practices before they occur,” she said.
The Commission acknowledged that its journey has not been without significant challenges that tested its resolve and highlighted areas needing urgent attention. “The complexity of modern corruption schemes has evolved faster than our capacity to address them.
Sophisticated money laundering operations, cross-border corruption networks, and the use of emerging technologies for corrupt purposes require us to constantly adapt and upgrade our capabilities,” Madiwa said.
She also highlighted that cybercrime and digital corruption have emerged as new frontiers, demanding specialised expertise and international cooperation mechanisms that the commission is still developing.
“The success of our second National Anti-Corruption Strategy depends absolutely on the active participation of all stakeholders. Government at all levels must embrace transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership as core values.
“This requires not just policy changes, but a transformation within the public service. Every public servant, from the minister to the lowest-ranking officer, has a role to play in building an ethical government that serves citizens with integrity,” the Commissioner said.
New Ziana
