Combating Corruption in Zimbabwe and South Africa (2007–2021)

Abstract

The chapter compares the way Zimbabwe and South Africa tackled issues of corruption in the period from 2007 to 2021. These are neighbouring countries which share similar questionable leadership in government. Zimbabwe ranked 157 and South Africa 72 in the 2022 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. This is despite the anti-corruption laws and institutions that the two countries had put in place. This study found that the commitment of political leadership and technocrats in fighting corruption would go a long way in resolving corruption in the two neighbouring countries. However, both the presidents of Zimbabwe and South Africa served with their predecessors for a long time and their respective governments cannot be easily trusted to turn the situation around unless there is a drastic shift. A qualitative study was employed to raise these critical issues and to reach compelling findings. Therefore the study produced constructive discourse to allow policy and decision-makers to overcome the level of corruption which is a threat to democracy and the economy of these countries.