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Introducing courses on ethics and integrity in the not enough to combat corruption
Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-Southern Africa)
Aug 04, 2007

Whilst opening the Third Session of the Sixth Parliament of Zimbabwe on Thursday the 24th of July 2007, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe decried the alarming levels of corruption in Zimbabwe and proposed the introduction of courses on 'ethics and integrity'. He says ".. as part of efforts to combat this scourge, courses on ethics and integrity shall be introduced throughout the whole education system, with a view to inculcating honesty in the citizens of the country".

Commenting on the proposal by President Mugabe, Mr Norman Ntjombe, one of the Board members of the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa, had this to say;

."I am not too comfortable to praise Robert Mugabe for anything due to his loud track record of abuses and excesses. But than again, I will suggest that that is a call that Zimbabweans must make and guide me. I will perhaps say that we don't believe in his half hearted efforts (that of educating the youth on corruption), and that teaching children does not only happen in the class room, but in the broader society. And children see and learn from the corruption which he is the chief to have made to flourish. And corruption is not only stealing money, but also when you corrupt democracy, for which he and his henchmen are as guilty as sin"

Mr Arnold Tsunga, the President of the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa said that people learn to be corrupt from their leaders and corruption in Zimbabwe is largely attributed to a failure by those in power to manage society by means of a framework of social, judicial, political and economic checks and balances. Tsunga says;

"I agree there is no reason to celebrate tokenism or mediocrity. Corruption is really a culture arising from the system of governance and people learn more from the practices of the leadership. So you cannot effectively deal with it through academically and theoretically teaching children against it"

Since behaviour is learnt observationally through modelling from observing others, it is recommended that Zimbabwe takes measures aimed at creating leadership that is exemplary and always standing for accountability, transparency, integrity and legitimacy. This will in turn help to model future accountable and transparent leaders.

Background information

The following quotation is taken from President Robert Gabriel Mugabe's speech whilst opening the Third Session of the Sixth Parliament of Zimbabwe on Thursday the 24 th of July 2007,

"The issue of corruption is no longer one of mere criminality, but has instead become a fundamental moral question, requiring multi-faceted enforcement interventions. Accordingly, as part of the efforts to combat this scourge, courses on ethics and integrity shall be introduced throughout the whole education system, with a view to inculcating honesty in the citizens of the country. In addition, proposals to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act [Chapter 9:22], as well as measures to protect whistleblowers and other providers of information, vital for combating economic crimes that threaten our existence as a nation, shall be introduced during this Session.

In an effort to prevent and combat transitionally organised crime, my Government will bring to Parliament three additional protocols to the United Nations Convention Against Transitional Organised Crime for ratification. The first one is the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children. The protocol seeks to protect and assist the victims of such trafficking, while maintaining full respect for their human rights. The other two are the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air and another Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their parts and components, and ammunition. In addition, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa will be brought for ratification during this Session."

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