Source: New strategy to tackle complex corruption cases – herald Mkhululi Ncube and Andile Tshuma, Zimpapers Writers ZIMBABWE is tightening the screws against corruption with a new national strategy being formulated to tackle complex cases, including bringing to book culprits from beyond borders, ensuring recovery of stolen assets and dismantling sophisticated graft networks. The Zimbabwe […]
Mkhululi Ncube and Andile Tshuma, Zimpapers Writers
ZIMBABWE is tightening the screws against corruption with a new national strategy being formulated to tackle complex cases, including bringing to book culprits from beyond borders, ensuring recovery of stolen assets and dismantling sophisticated graft networks.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) says the second National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS2) will anchor its fight on regional and international cooperation, targeting offshore havens and cross-border syndicates that frustrate accountability efforts.
The new policy, currently at the consultation stage, comes four years after President Mnangagwa launched the first strategy. While NACS1 helped strengthen institutions, close legal loopholes and digitise key public services, it faced setbacks, particularly the lack of whistle-blower and witness protection laws, which left citizens vulnerable to reprisals for exposing graft.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ workshop yesterday, ZACC Commissioner for Prevention of Corruption and Corporate Governance, Chido Madiwa, said NACS2 will draw lessons from the first phase but with a sharper international outlook.
Stakeholders attending the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2 consultation in Bulawayo yesterday
She said their strategy must strengthen partnerships, improve information sharing and build capacity in forensic accounting, digital investigations and asset recovery.
“Corruption increasingly operates across borders, requiring enhanced international cooperation to address effectively. As such, our NACS2 should prioritise strengthening partnerships with regional and international anti-corruption bodies and law enforcement agencies,” she said.
“Information-sharing agreements will enable us to track corrupt proceeds that flow across borders while receiving intelligence about international corruption networks operating within our territory.”
Comm Madiwa said ZACC will also push for harmonised legal frameworks across the region to make it easier to extradite suspects, freeze stolen funds and repatriate assets. The commission believes such measures will ensure that corruption proceeds are redirected towards national development and victims’ compensation.
“Regional cooperation mechanisms will address corruption challenges that affect multiple countries, particularly in areas such as procurement fraud, money laundering and organised crime,” said Comm Madiwa.
“Asset recovery efforts will benefit from stronger international partnerships that help us trace, freeze and recover stolen assets hidden in foreign jurisdictions. Technical assistance in navigating complex international legal processes will improve our success rates in major asset recovery cases.”
Turning to NACS1, Comm Madiwa said several achievements were registered with institutions now strengthened to combat corruption.
She said several loopholes that were being exploited by corrupt actors were closed.
“Our measures and actions against corruption complemented the existing robust legislative frameworks that include procurement laws, asset recovery and forfeitures legislation, criminal laws, facilitation of the creation of institutional integrity communities and signing of integrity pledges, anti-corruption public education and awareness,” she said.
“The significant push back in our double down on anti-corruption efforts has been the absence of a whistle-blower and a witness protection law.
“The non-availability of a national witness protection mechanism continues to discourage citizens from reporting corruption due to the spectre of reprisals”.
Despite these challenges, Comm Madiwa said the Second Republic has been supportive by providing ZACC with resources, which have enabled them to do their job.
She said some of the successes recorded under NACS1 included the digitisation of Government services, which has resulted in documents like passports, tax payments, title deeds and the company registry, among others, being available online, thus reducing physical interaction between citizens and officials.
Comm Madiwa said sophisticated money laundering, cross-border corruption networks and use of emerging technologies for corrupt purposes continue to force ZACC to adapt.
