Access to Information as a Tool Against Corruption

On the 28th of September 2020, Transparency International Zimbabwe (TI Z) joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day of Universal Access to Information under the theme, “Access to Information – Saving lives, building trust, bringing hope”. The context and emphasis of this year’s theme was on the importance of information in ensuring transparency and accountability especially during the public health pandemic of COVID-19. Access to information during this global pandemic is crucial, as it ensures that governments are accountable on the resources they have received or allocated as a response to COVID-19, public procurement processes are above board and resources are equitable distributed. Various stakeholders such as citizens, media, civic society organisations, private sector and international community, require information to track resources and ensure corruption is minimised. In this regard, TI Z reiterates that access to information remains an important tool to respond to the rampant levels of corruption. This week’s Weekend digest provides a brief overview on the importance of access to information in the fight against corruption in Zimbabwe. For the full article, please read the pdf document attached.