10 December 2008
editorial
THE assurance from the Government that the anti-corruption policy draft will be implemented should lay to rest any speculation that the Government of President Banda are not serious about fighting the scourge.
The policy will ensure that the fight against corruption is well coordinated and new laws that will help in rooting out this vice will be introduced.
The theme, for this year's Anti-Corruption Day 'Corruption - Your No Counts' is a stark reminder to every citizen of the world that they have an important role to play in the fight against the scourge, plainly defined as the abuse of public power and resources for personal ends.
In recent years, corruption has grown both in terms of geographical extent and intensity and has infiltrated virtually every facet of society in the world.
Zambia has had its own share of the problem of corruption and it is rife in many spheres of life despite the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 1996.
The commission is an autonomous institution mandated by the ACC Act Number 42 of 1996 to spearhead the fight against corruption through various avenues. Its roles include community education, prevention, investigation, and prosecution in private and public institutions.
Its goals centre on prevention and combating corruption in order to promote integrity, transparency and accountability for the attainment of zero tolerance on corruption, good governance and sustainable development for all Zambians.
This is quite a huge challenge for the commission, which has been operating under very difficult conditions to attain its goals and make Zambia a better place to live in.
It is, however, good to note that the Government takes the operations of the ACC seriously and is now in the process of strengthening its operations through new laws.
The introduction of new laws to make the fight against corruption stronger announced by Vice-President George Kunda in Lusaka yesterday could not have come at a better time.
Zambia is in the middle of a fierce battle against corruption and the only way to win the fight would be through a well-coordinated system.
Mr Kunda, who was officiating at this year's Anti-Corruption Day in Lusaka, reiterated the Government's commitment to stemming corruption through various measures and interventions including the ratification of several international treaties.
But for the battle to be won, there will be need for Zambians from all walks of life to play their roles as expressed in this year's theme.
Without the participation of Zambians at individual and local levels, it will be difficult for the new laws governing corruption to have any meaningful impact.
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