Zimbabwe Ranks High in Corruption Perception Index: Transparency International’s 2024 Report

By Regina Pasipanodya

Zimbabwe has ranked high on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) as it scored 21 out of 100 and ranked 158th out of 180, Transparency International has revealed.
These results were given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

The CPI analysed 180 countries worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption.

However, the report has revealed that many nations with high CPI scores have the resources and power to drive corruption-resistant climate action around the world, but instead they often serve the interests of fossil fuel companies.

“Some of these countries are also home to financial hubs that attract illicit funds stemming from corruption, environmental destruction and other crime,” the report reads in part.

Development Economist Prosper Chitambara described corruption as an indirect tax on businesses that affects profits and increases cost of doing business.

This means that it weakens foreign direct investment and local investment thereby weakening economic growth.

“In countries where there are low levels of corruption, they tend to do much better economically in the long term. This is something that we need to address in terms of specific measures. Therefore, as a country we need to simplify the business environment through digitisation and reduce the taxes, levies and the fees in the business environment,” advised Chitambara.

He further explained that as long as the taxes are high and there are so many regulations it creates a strong incentive for corruption.

However, the Chair of Transparency International, Francòis Valerian said “Corruption is an evolving global threat that does far more than undermine development – it is a key cause of declining democracy, instability and human rights violations. The international community and every nation must make tackling corruption a top and long-term priority. This is crucial to pushing back against authoritarianism and securing a peaceful, free and sustainable world. The dangerous trends revealed in this year’s Corruption Perceptions Index highlight the need to follow through with concrete action now to address global corruption.”