Assets declarations by public officers in Zimbabwe as an anti-corruption tool

Abstract

Zimbabwe is regarded as one of the most corrupt countries on the African continent. The absence of an assets declaration regime in Zimbabwe has made it difficult to hold accountable public officers implicated in corruption and found in possession of unexplained assets. Corruption by public officers is hard to detect and prove, especially when there are no measures to ensure official acknowledgement of their assets. This paper confronts an important gap in the anti-corruption laws of Zimbabwe. It examines the importance of assets declarations as a tool to fight corruption by public officers in Zimbabwe. In doing so, it will deal also with the main elements of an assets declaration regime for Zimbabwe. Finally, the research provides recommendations on how Zimbabwe can establish an effective assets declaration system to ensure transparency, accountability and openness in the public sector.