Speaking at the launch of publications documenting the state of corruption and its impact on Zimbabwe’s economy by Transparency International Zimbabwe in Harare last week, Ambassador Dell’ Arricia said there was a need to come up with strategies to curb corruption.
Zimbabwe’s civil servants are among the lowest paid in the region with some getting a basic monthly salary of $159. This is despite the fact that the poverty datum line is pegged at $500.
The publications, entitled United Nations Convention Against Corruption Civil Society Parallel Review Report 2012, Human Interest Stories- 2012, Annual State of Corruption Report- 2012 and the Global Corruption Barometer- 2013 (Zimbabwe Report), revealed that corruption is worsening the plight and vulnerability of already impoverished Zimbabweans.
According to TIZ’ s Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre report entitled, The Human Cost of Corruption, the daily lives of ordinary Zimbabweans are burdened by the abuse of office, misuse or theft by custodians of public resources and services.
TiZ Legal Officer, Danai Mabuto- Kudya, said the organisation had established that corruption was prevalent within schools, hospitals and other government departments responsible for distributing grain loan schemes.
Ambassador Del’ Arricia said in coming up with possible solutions to the challenge of corruption, there should be a review of the salary scales of personnel in the public sector.
He said: ”It could be that the salaries for public service personnel do not permit them to afford the kind of lifestyle that they want or that they deserve. Singapore institutionalized corruption and today it is a success story. It is critical that government establishes why there is rampant corruption in that sector, just food for thought,” said Arricia.
Post published in: News