By Staff Reporter
HARARE — Zimbabwe is preparing to change the way it fights corruption, shifting the focus from arrests and prosecutions to prevention, accountability, and stronger cooperation among institutions.
The new approach will be driven by the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2026-2030 (NACS 2), which seeks to strengthen the country’s response to corruption from prevention and investigations to prosecution and asset recovery.
The shift emerged during a Justice Sector Anti-Corruption Breakfast Meeting convened by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), which brought together institutions involved in combating corruption to discuss governance and accountability under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
Speaking at the meeting, TIZ Legal and Policy Officer Fadzai Jekemu said the fight against corruption required stronger cooperation among institutions that handle corruption cases at different stages of the justice chain.
“The fight against corruption cannot be won by institutions operating in isolation. Effective prevention, investigation, prosecution, and adjudication require strong relationships, trust, and coordination among all actors in the justice sector,” said Jekemu
She said the engagement was part of TIZ’s Strengthening Anti-Corruption Frameworks for Responsive and Accountable Governance in Zimbabwe (SAFRAG) programme, which seeks to strengthen the capacity of anti-corruption institutions while improving collaboration among agencies responsible for handling corruption cases.
Presenting the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs’ governance and accountability priorities, Chief Law Officer Charles Manhiri said corruption had become one of the biggest threats to Zimbabwe’s development aspirations and could no longer be viewed solely as a criminal justice issue.
“Corruption is not simply a criminal justice issue. It is a development issue because it diverts resources from public services, discourages investment, and weakens public confidence in institutions,” said Manhiri.
He said corruption undermines the institutions and systems required to deliver NDS2, raises the cost of doing business, and weakens the rule of law.
According to Manhiri, Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption efforts would increasingly be measured through outcomes such as case completion rates, investigation turnaround times, asset recovery, and public confidence rather than by the number of arrests alone.
“The focus under NDS2 is not only on investigations and arrests but on measurable results such as case completion rates, asset recovery, and improved public confidence in governance institutions,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption framework involves multiple institutions, including the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, and the courts, each responsible for different stages of the anti-corruption process.
Manhiri warned that delays and weak handovers between institutions had often undermined the effectiveness of investigations and prosecutions.
“No single institution can achieve the national anti-corruption targets on its own. A corruption case moves through several institutions, and our success depends on the strength of the entire chain,” he said.
He said stronger information sharing, improved referral mechanisms, and better case management systems would be required to improve coordination and reduce delays.
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission representative Memory Tagwireyi said lessons from the implementation of the first National Anti-Corruption Strategy informed the design of NACS 2.
“The lessons from the implementation of NACS 1 showed us that we need stronger coordination, better monitoring systems, and greater institutional ownership of anti-corruption efforts,” said Tagwireyi
She said the new strategy represented a significant shift in approach.
“NACS 2 represents a deliberate shift from reactive enforcement towards prevention and the strengthening of integrity systems,” she said.
Tagwireyi said consultations were conducted in all ten provinces involving government institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector, and citizens to ensure broad ownership of the strategy.
She said institutions participating in the consultations had committed themselves to specific deliverables and accountability measures under the new framework.
“One of the major objectives of NACS 2 is to ensure that institutions take ownership of specific deliverables and are held accountable for their implementation,” she said.
The strategy identifies five priority areas, including strengthening anti-corruption legislation, improving institutional capacity, enhancing investigations and prosecutions, increasing citizen participation, and targeting sectors considered highly vulnerable to corruption.
“The fight against corruption requires more than investigations and arrests. It requires strong institutions, effective laws, public participation, and accountability mechanisms,” said Tagwireyi.
The National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2026-2030 has been completed following nationwide consultations and is currently awaiting Cabinet consideration and approval before its official launch.
