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Zambia |
CORRUPTION
Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) set the meeting alive at the Southern African Forum Against Corruption (SAFAC)’s Training Workshop for Public Education and Corruption Prevention Officers (TWPECPO), held in Mangochi, Malawi, towards the end of last year
Participants from various Anti-Corruption institutions in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries were meeting to share their experiences and ideas on public education in combating corruption in the region. Participating SADC countries included, the host Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho, and South Africa.
By virtue of the ACC in Zambia being the oldest institution to be created specifically for tackling corruption in Southern Africa, participating SADC countries at the TWPECPO Workshop had a lot to learn and appreciate from the unique practical perspectives the ACC has embarked on, in the fight against corruption.
In his presentation on the Zambian experience in the fight against corruption, the ACC‘s acting Senior Community Relations Officer, Mr Goodwell Lungu, categorised a variety of strategies the ACC has embarked on, in its quest to effectively educate members of the public as to the dangers and evils of corruption on society.
Mr Lungu outlined five case studies through which he demonstrated how the ACC in Zambia is implementing its campaigns against the scourge of corruption.
While the general programmes undertaken by most Anti-Corruption institutions in Southern Africa involve Workshops, seminars, talks, radio programmes, production and distribution of posters and leaflets, Mr Lungu presented other methods which have proved to be successful. These include public discussions, anti-corruption youth festivals, Workshops for church leaders, civic education, and managerial Workshops for public and private organisations.
Mr Lungu told the TWPBCPO participants that public discussion fora are held once a month at the Padmozi Hotel in Lusaka. These enable prominent members of society to discuss pertinent issues on various corruption topics. He said: «It is becoming quite clear that people attending the fora are becoming increasingly worried that at the rate at which corruption is going on in Zambia, the odds are stacked against the ACC in its fight against corruption. So far, a number of good ideas have been presented to the Commission on how best to fight corruption. The fora have provided a challenge for the Commission to become much more effective.»
Opportunities for discussion
The general theme for these fora, is: «Promoting and Protecting Integrity in Public Life». The discussions emphasise the need for all stakeholders in public life to maintain their integrity.
The monthly fora bring people together from government and civil society, especially those who can influence public opinion and mobilise support for integrity in public life. The fora also aim to promote partnership between the ACC and civil society, as the ACC cannot fight corruption effectively without the support of civil society. They also provide a platform whereby the ACC can learn from the public and listen to their concerns about corruption.
The fora provide an opportunity for members of the public to air their views on how they feel corruption should be tackled in Zambia, thus providing an opportunity for the Commission to reflect on its strategies.
A number of prominent personalities were invited to present papers at the Malawi Training Workshop or were present as special guests of honour. Among these were Judge Heath from the Heath Commission in South Africa, and Professor Michele Hansungule, a Law Professor at Pretoria University in South Africa.
Mr Lungu explained that the ACC in partnership with the Christian Information Network (CIN), has embarked on a nationwide campaign to sensitise church leaders in Zambia on the existing corruption. CIN achieves this through Workshops.
Mr Lungu told the (TWPECPO) participants: «We believe that since the Church and religious institutions preach honesty and high moral standards in society, involving them in this campaign can help transmit anti-corruption messages right down to the grassroots level».
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PeaceLink 2002 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement