- Zimbabwe's score on Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index fell to 21 out of 100 down from 24 in 2023 placing it 158th out of 180 countries, the lowest in SADC
- Post-2017 transition, arrests targeted former G40 faction figures alongside low prosecution rates from over 300 Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission cases in 2024
- Audits reveal massive irregularities, including $5.8 billion in 2018 government spending flaws and $3.5 billion in 2024 budget leakages
Sources: Transparency International, Equity Axis
Harare- President Emmerson Mnangagwa took office in November 2017 after the late President Robert Mugabe’s resignation, pledging decisive action against corruption. In his 2018 State of the Nation Address, he declared that “there will be no sacred cows” and that his administration would adopt a zero-tolerance stance toward graft, which he identified as a major barrier to national development.
Zimbabwe’s performance on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) provides a measurable benchmark. The country ranked 158th out of 180 nations in 2024, down from 149th in 2023 and marking its lowest position in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) since 2019.
The CPI score, which ranges from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), has averaged around 24 over the past decade, with 2024 registering 23.
Sources: Transparency International, Equity Axis
Initial steps after the 2017 transition targeted members of the G40 faction, a group aligned with Mugabe. Arrests included former ministers Ignatius Chombo (convicted in 2019), Jonathan Moyo, Savior Kasukuwere, and Walter Mzembi (re-arrested in June 2025).
ZANU-PF officials described the moves as necessary to dismantle entrenched patronage networks. No comparable actions were taken against figures associated with President Mnangagwa’s own Lacoste.
Financial audits have highlighted systemic issues. The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development’s review of the 2018 Auditor-General report identified US$5.8 billion in irregularities, equivalent to 82% of government expenditure covering unsupported payments, excess spending, and unapproved transfers.
A 2020 Afrobarometer survey reported that 60 percent of respondents perceived corruption levels rising between 2018 and 2019.
High-profile cases have often ended without convictions. Former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo and ex-Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira, both implicated in separate scandals, were released after brief detentions.
The 2023 Al Jazeera Gold Mafia investigation alleged large-scale gold smuggling and influence-peddling involving state institutions though the government rejected the claims as unsubstantiated.
A separate 2024 budget analysis estimated US$3.5 billion in potential leakage, with US$2 billion allegedly moved offshore.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) submitted over 300 case files to prosecutors in 2024, but prosecution rates remain low.
ZACC reports directly to the President’s Office and is chaired by a presidential appointee, raising questions about operational independence.
In March 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on President Mnangagwa, the First Lady, and several associates for alleged corrupt practices which Harare called baseless measures.
Legislative reforms include amendments to the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act requiring public officials to declare assets and conflicts of interest.
A Whistle-blower Protection Bill is scheduled for completion in 2025.
However, institutional autonomy and judicial capacity will determine whether these changes yield tangible results.
Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption trajectory since 2017 reflects a mix of early enforcement, legal modernisation, and persistent governance gaps. Whether the current framework can reverse the CPI decline remains an open question.
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