Zambia: Zambia Government Profile

 

The current government has declared zero tolerance for corruption, a continuation of the efforts of the previous government. A number of corruption cases were reported and some were addressed in 2009. Due to capacity challenges within the legal and judicial systems, however, not all the higher-level cases have been disposed of in court. In 2009, the judiciary handled a number of corruption-related cases, inclunding notably that of Xavier Chungu, Intelligence Director General under the presidency of Frederick Chiluba (1991-2002), and that of Henry Kapoko, the former Human Resources Director at the Ministry of Health, who allegedly misappropriated billions of kwachas from the Ministry.

Transparency International (TI)’s Corruption Perception Index 2009 showed that Zambia had made significant evolution in the fight against corruption. Zambia was ranked 99 out of 179 (6 positions better than in 2008) with a score of 3.0 (2 points better than in 2008). The Corruption Perception Index statement results, however, came at a time at the same time as the government increased its exposure of corruption tendencies in the activities of both the private and the public sector. Specific exposed corruption cases included alleged financial improprieties in the health and roads sectors. The findings of the official audit investigations carried out in the respective sectors are still awaited.

The 2009 TI statement as well came in the wake of the landmark judgment that acquitted former President Frederick Chiluba of corruption accusations levied on him next his tenure in office. Chiluba’s presidency raised reservations in some sections of both the Zambian and the international community regarding Zambia’s commitment to fighting corruption.

In 2009, an Ethics Code for public service was developed, and ethics committees were set up. The Ethics Code aims to make civil servants additional accountable for their actions and should help to increase efficiency in the public sector. The government as well continued with its commitment to ensure and enhance transparency in the mining sector by implementing the guidelines of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in the 2009-11 MTEF. Despite some delay, the Decentralisation Implementation Plan (DIP) formulated in February 2006 is expected to be implemented before 2011. Initially, the government and stakeholders had failed to reach a consensus regarding the financing of the DIP. An extra area of contention was the initial focus of the DIP: whilst the Ministry of Local Government and Housing wanted to promote local capacity building and, as a parallel process, the deployment of functions from line ministries, the majority of the cabinet was of the opinion that capacity building should come initial. Capacity building was performed in the area of finance and audit for local councils. In 2009, the government scored a win by guiding approval for the DIP, with the hope that this would help to transfer the responsibility for local development to local populations.

Dissemination of data by the government and participation of the private sector and civil society in decision-making processes are improving, particularly through the active participation of the latter in sectoral advisory groups, which provide a forum for discussion amongst stakeholders from the government, the private sector and civil society.