I am greatly honored and delighted to be given the opportunity to make a few remarks at the beginning of what is a very important activity for Transparency International Zambia(TI-Z), the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and the Ministry of Justice. In line with our mandate of fighting corruption and advocating for good governance at different levels of Zambia’s governance structure, we as TI-Z recognize the importance of collaborating with different stakeholders both in the public and private sector, if we are to succeed in what we are called to do as an organization. It is for this reason that we have taken the deliberate approach of engaging with a range of stakeholders in order to leverage on their expertise and strengths, for the benefit of our anti-corruption fight. This meeting today, and all the background work that has been done leading to it, are an example of what is possible when there is collaboration among government, civil society and the private sector.
Ladies and gentlemen, Zambia has continued to face many different challenges in relation to our economy and our governance, and corruption remains one such challenge, whose effects are felt across different sectors of our economy. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index for the year 2021, the corruption situation in Zambia has not shown any improvement over the last five years. Over the same period, all of us have also been witnesses to the worrying issues that have dominated the media landscape as far as corruption allegations go, as well as the revelations that have been made through the Auditor General’s reports and the Financial Intelligence Centre’s Trends Analysis reports. This scenario entails that all stakeholders that have an interest in fighting corruption still have a lot of work to do in order to make meaningful progress in that regard.
TI-Z understands that fighting corruption is one of the priority agendas of the UPND administration, as espoused in their party manifesto. However, while it is of vital importance for government to demonstrate their commitment to the fight against corruption by walking the talk in every respect, it must be understood that government alone will not be able to successfully eradicate corruption. The development of the National Anti-Corruption Policy, while an important milestone, is only a part of the official mechanism to fight corruption in Zambia. The success of the anti-corruption war hinges on the will power and demonstrated commitment of all different stakeholders – the government, CSOs, the private sector, the media, communities and the citizenry in general. Only when we create what we can term as a grand coalition against corruption
involving the concerted efforts of all these stakeholders shall we enhance our chances of winning the war against this scourge. Ladies and gentlemen, corruption prevention can reduce the likelihood of its occurrence, and can contain its corrosive effects. But, let us be clear: prevention means putting in place concrete anti-corruption measures and public sector management practices based on the rule of law, transparency and accountability. In other words, corruption prevention equals a culture of integrity and accountability in the way public resources are managed. TI-Z and the ACC among other stakeholders have done several interventions in this respect, and our resolve to continue along this path remains resolute. However, we must acknowledge that what we have done so far has not wholly answered our need. In this regard, we urge all stakeholders to exert utmost effort and ability towards the anti-corruption fight, and not to rest on their laurels until this fight is won. We therefore call for continued wide consultation on the development of this National Anti-Corruption Policy to ensure that the final product is a comprehensive document that will provide policy direction and foster integrity, transparency and accountability in Zambia’s anti-corruption fight.
As I conclude, I wish to reiterate TI-Z’s conviction that the fight against corruption is not the sole preserve of a single institution, be it government, private sector or civil society. Rather, it equires the concerted efforts of a range of stakeholders who leverage on each other’s collective strengths to design and implement different interventions aimed at
addressing this scourge. We are convinced that the development of a comprehensive National Anti-Corruption Policy that will take into account all the lessons that we have
learnt from our efforts thus far will help to re-energise Zambia’s anti-corruption efforts, and give us a fighting chance at winning this war. As TI-Z, we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, as part of our never-ending quest to enhance the efficacy of anti-corruption interventions in Zambia, and we challenge all stakeholders to do the same. I thank you for your attention, and may God bless us all.
