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ALAC
update November-December 2009
Transparency
International - Zimbabwe (TI-Z)
December 16, 2009
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The Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre
(ALAC) is an
independent forum for citizens to report corruption, propose solutions
and seek advice. ALAC services are for free. ALAC publishes information
and statistical updates not to name and shame any individuals, entities
or sectors, but to prompt a self reflection. The ALAC updates are
also meant to raise awareness on the magnitude of corruption across
sectors, political, regional, class, economic and social divides.
This month's update is a special edition commemorating the UN International
Anti-corruption day. It also combines statistics for November and
December as ALAC will be closed for the Christmas and New Year break.
Initial
Contacts Received by ALAC
ALAC received
a total of 49 initial contacts in the months of November and December
to date. From its inception, ALAC has received a total of 550 initial
contacts. The graph below shows the distribution of initial contacts
according to sex for the complaints received in last month. The
unknown sex refers to those initial contacts made to ALAC through
emails and letters where sex cannot be determined.
Walk-in
Centre goes to the public- ALAC mobile Legal Aid Clinics
ALAC has began
carrying out mobile legal aid clinics as part of the solution to
growing demands for its services. The services are free of charge,
and will ensure that citizens have access to ALAC in their communities.
The Mobile Legal Aid Clinic also eases the burden of transport fares
on citizens.
Emerging
trends sectors most prone to corruption
A high number
of complaints were received relating to misappropriation of funds
within the education sector. Concerned parents, continue to raise
allegations of misappropriation of funds by school headmasters and
headmistresses (especially in public schools) who are conniving
and working in cohorts with members of School Development Associations
(SDA) to defraud learning institutions of huge sums of money. As
a result children continue to be denied their right to access basic
affordable education as huge amounts of fees continue to be requested
from the parents to cater for huge chunks being gobbled up by these
"privileged few".
Labour related
complaints also account for a huge number of corruption related
cases in the private sector. The complainants allege that the "labour
disputes" arise as a result of victimisation after exposing
corrupt practices. These whistleblowers are dismissed or suspended
from work and these corrupt officials continue to siphon company
resources for themselves. The current legislative framework in Zimbabwe
does not provide for the protection of whistleblowers and this is
a huge set back in the fight against corruption as people are discouraged
from reporting and exposing corrupt practices for fear of victimisation
and reprisal from institutional authorities.
Corruption at
local government level and poor service delivery by some parastatals
continues to be a major hindrance to development and improved standard
of living for many citizens. The nature of the complaints received
range from failure to provide tillage services (even after payment
has been received by service providers) to failure to provide social
and public utility services by institutions such as local authorities
when residents continue to pay for rates.
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