For the first time, a senior Zimbabwean official has revealed that corruption costs the country nearly $2 billion annually, severely impacting the economy and ordinary citizens.
The country’s Prosecutor-General Loice Matanda-Moyo revealed that billions of dollars are leaving Zimbabwe through illicit transactions. Speaking at a workshop for government officials in Harare, Matanda-Moyo said corruption is a major clog in the progress of Zimbabwe’s and called for immediate action to eliminate it.
“That is a huge sum of money, and you can imagine what $1.8 billion could do,” Matanda-Moyo said. “Such illicit financial flows are unacceptable and bleed the economy of revenue meant to promote sustainable economic development and the betterment of all Zimbabweans. It is time to eradicate corruption in Zimbabwe’s economy and recover stolen assets.”
No other government official has responded to her remarks. The government has often pointed fingers at targeted sanction from election rigging and human right abuses as the cause of the country’s economic challenges
Since taking power six years ago, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he was committed to defeating corruption. However, he has faced criticism for the way his government has handled corruption cases.