Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, has taken the unenviable top spot as the most corrupt province in the country. According to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ZACC) 2025 First Quarter Report, Harare accounted for a whopping 86% of corruption-related complaints nationwide, with 158 out of 183 reports filed between January and March. Gweru and Mutare followed with 11 and 9 complaints, respectively, while Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West had 5 complaints each.
In a surprising twist, Bulawayo and Masvingo recorded zero complaints, which ZACC attributes to a lack of public awareness about their offices in these provinces.
“It can be noted that other provinces recorded less than 10% of total reports received, and this can be attributed to a lack of public awareness of the existence of ZACC offices in these provinces. The assertion is further supported by an increased number of reports being made in Harare by members of the public from provinces where the Commission already has established offices. There is, therefore, a need for increased awareness raising,” said ZACC Chairperson Mr Michael Reza in the report.
This lack of visibility has led ZACC to call for increased awareness-raising efforts.
Breaking Down Corruption Complaints
The report also highlights some interesting statistics:
– Monthly Complaints:
– January: 67 reports
– February: 75 reports
– March: 41 reports
Corruption by Gender:
– Males: 87 complaints
– Females: 23 complaints
Types of Corruption:
– Fraud: 45 cases
– Abuse of duty: 21 cases
– Theft: 10 cases
ZACC Chairperson Michael Reza notes that the commission has made 82 arrests, with 54 men, 25 women, and 3 organizations implicated. The commission has also investigated and completed 106 dockets, with 99 referred for prosecution.
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