Published: 4 hours ago

The Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission (ZICC) has issued a strong condemnation of corruption in both public and private sectors, describing it as not only a governance failure but a fundamental human rights violation that undermines justice, public trust, and institutional legitimacy.

Speaking during an Integrity Pledge Signing Ceremony held in Harare on Tuesday, ZICC chairperson Justice Webster Chinamora said the commission was committed to holding itself and others accountable in line with Section 210 of the Constitution, which mandates ZICC to investigate complaints against security services.

"Corruption, in all its insidious forms, is not only a governance deficit. It is a human rights violation," said Chinamora.
"It denies citizens fair access to justice, dilutes institutional legitimacy and erodes public trust."

Chinamora stressed that the integrity pledge represents both a moral and legal commitment to transparency and ethical conduct, beginning with the Commission itself.

"At ZICC, we do not merely demand accountability from others - we demand it from ourselves first.
This pledge is a declaration of internal vigilance. It is about institutional self-respect and setting a standard that even those we investigate can look up to."

The pledge comes amid growing concerns over the persistent scourge of corruption in Zimbabwe. Despite initial hopes for reform following President Emmerson Mnangagwa's 2017 rise to power, Zimbabwe continues to battle systemic corruption across major sectors, including the judiciary, law enforcement, electoral bodies, and natural resources industries.

According to Transparency International, illicit financial flows (IFFs) - mostly tied to corruption - have cost Zimbabwe billions of dollars, particularly through the mining, timber, and wildlife sectors.

Chinamora warned that without ethical leadership, Zimbabwe's development ambitions under Vision 2030 would remain elusive.

"There can be no Vision 2030 without ethical visionaries to carry it forward. ZICC must be the lodestar of that ethical leadership. This pledge binds us not only legally, but morally - a covenant with our highest ideals."

Joining the call for ethical reform, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) commissioner Chido Madiwa emphasised the importance of cooperation between oversight bodies in fighting corruption.

"Zacc affirms that corruption will find no safe haven within the commission, that ethical standards will be upheld at the highest level and public interest will always take precedence over personal considerations."

Madiwa called for deeper collaboration between ZICC and Zacc, not only in handling complaints and information sharing but in "mutual support in maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism."

The event marks a renewed effort by Zimbabwe's oversight institutions to reclaim public confidence and reinforce ethical governance as the country continues its struggle against entrenched corruption.
- Newsday