The Fight Against Corruption Includes You

Corruption is everywhere in Zambia. Though only a few people really hit the big scores, we all have the responsibility to prevent corruption, says Goodwell Lungu from Transparency International Zambia

By Manja Kamwi Information Officer MS-Zambia

A police officer in Lundazi, Eastern Province, stopped two men who were riding on one bicycle. The police officer in Lundazi claimed that it was against the law and wanted to impound the bicycle if a proper fee was not paid on the spot.

However, the man who was riding the bicycle refused and instead demanded for the police officer’s working number with the intention of reporting him to his superior in Lusaka.

The police officer angrily withdrew his claim and instead sent the men away saying: “You go and take your bicycle and your human rights with you!”

Mr. Goodwell Lungu, the director of Transparency International in Zambia says such an abstract story from Lundazi is a classical example of what could have ended in petty corruption and at the same time a rare example of ordinary people actually refusing to let a police officer get away with it though he was threatening to impound the bicycle.

“This story illustrates that if ordinary people know the laws and procedures it is very difficult for officials to pressure people to pay fines that they are not supposed to pay,” says Mr. Lungu.

Resist corruption

However, information and knowledge is one thing.

“Personal responsibility is another. If the widespread petty corruption is to come to an end ordinary people must learn to resist, reject and report any kind of corruption they meet,” says Lungu.

Petty corruption might seem very innocent compared to the huge amounts of money that the media regularly report has gone into politicians’ and big business men’s pockets.

Petty corruption is serious

But petty corruption is as much a threat to the development of Zambia as the grand and political corruption, says Goodwelll Lungu.

“It is a vicious circle. If a community only has two schools that can cater for 40 pupils and there are 100 children that need to be enrolled, many parents will pay their way to get their children enrolled. This leads us to grand corruption. Because why is it that there are only two schools in a community where more are needed. Is it because money meant for building schools in that area was diverted into private pockets?” he explains.

The big challenge is to change people’s attitude from from bribing their way into accessing services to instead, make them demand that more schools are built.

Again Mr. Lungu refers to informing and educating people as key tools in the fight against corruption.

Report corruption

“The community should report medical personnel who solicit bribes in order to offer a service at clinics and hospitals; Headmasters and teachers who solicit bribes to give a school place to your children; Policemen who solicit bribes in order to look the other way as crime is being committed; and any other public official who solicits bribes in order to perform his duty at court, the registration office, customs, immigra- tion, passport office, etc., ” says Lungu.

At times people engage in corruption, because they want quick services or because they simply don’t know the right procedures, tells Lungu.

That is why TI Zambia are in the process of developing guidelines for 12 public institutions in Zambia on how to access public services free of corruption. The guideline will be published in the press and are aimed at some of the most perceived corrupt institutions in Zambia – e.g. the Police and the passport office.

Basically these guidelines will tell people how the procedures are when you apply for a plot, a drivers licence or a passport. With the procedures written down people have something to refer to when they apply for these services and it is much easier for them to resist if they are asked for bribe in order to get the service, says Lungu.