HARARE - The Zimbabwe anti-corruption commission is embarking on a countrywide awareness campaign to help reduce rampant corruption that is threatening to derail economic growth.

Zimbabwe is currently ranked among the worst corrupt nations in the world. According to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, the country is ranked 154 out of 183 countries and territories assessed.
 
The country has a score below five on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean). Zimbabwe currently has a score of 2,2 which means it is ranked among the most corrupt countries in terms of perceived levels of public sector corruption.

Phyllis Chikundura, the commission’s spokesperson, said the week-long awareness campaign is aimed at bringing corruption issues to the fore.

“We are currently in Matabeleland South and we have covered areas such as Gwanda, Plumtree, and Bulawayo and we will be in Beitbridge distributing fliers and speaking to the public about reporting corruption,” she said.

Over the last few years, the commission has been under fire from ordinary citizens who have slammed the board for being an expensive smokescreen set up solely to divert attention from the greed and avarice of the powerful and influential within the Zanu PF party.

Despite overwhelming evidence being available about shameless plunder and pillaging of national assets by public figures, none of the big shots have been touched.

“The response we are receiving from the public is very overwhelming and I would like to encourage people in the areas that we are coming to prepare to speak to us so that we can weed out corrupt practices in our societies,” she said.

The commission, a statutory body whose mandate is to investigate corruption and prosecute without fear or favour, has in the past been accused of failing to tackle several cases involving high profile figures. - John Kachembere and Ndakaziva Majaka