This Anti-Corruption Helpdesk brief was produced in response to a query from a U4 Partner Agency. The U4 Helpdesk is operated by Transparency International in collaboration with the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre based at the Chr. Michelsen Institute.
Query
Can you please provide us with an update of the 2014 corruption analysis for Zambia? If possible, on the justice sector, on existing complaints and grievance mechanisms in the public sector and how effective they are, as well as the connection between gender and corruption (in the Zambian context).
Summary
Zambia faces significant corruption challenges; public procurement and the justice sector are especially affected. A progressively authoritarian regime has resulted in increasing political violence against the opposition and government critics. With the onset of COVID-19, there are fears that, in a bid for survival, the ruling party may find ways of personal enrichment at the expense of public welfare. Women face significant barriers to political participation, and their experiences with corruption are notably different in some/ a number of cases. The Office of the Public Protector has emerged as an ombudsman authority in recent years.
Contents
- Background
- Extent of corruption
- Forms of corruption
- Sectors affected by corruption
- Legal and institutional anti-corruption framework
- Focus areas
- Other stakeholders
- References
Main points
- Corruption remains a problem in the Zambian context, with government officials frequently engaging in corrupt acts with impunity.
- Political corruption and undue influence stand out as major forms of corruption.
- The judiciary is influenced by the executive, and its reputation is marred by allegations of corruption.
- Applying a gender dimension to experiences of bribery show that, while women are less frequently asked than men to pay bribes, they are more likely to raise their voices against it. Women are also more affected than men
when it comes to the growing phenomenon of "sextortion" where sex is used as an informal currency in exchange for favours and economic opportunities.
- The Office of the Public Protector acts as a centralised grievance mechanism for all citizens.
Authors
Kaunain Rahman (TI), [email protected]
Reviewers
Sofie Arjon Schütte (U4), [email protected]
Jorum Duri (TI) and Maurice Knyambe (TI Zambia), [email protected]
Date
12/03/2021
