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People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) leader, Andyord Banda, has accused the government of merely paying lip service to the fight against corruption, arguing that Zambia lacks political will to address the vice under the United Party for National Development (UPND) administration.
Banda stated that the country had stagnated in the 30-39 bracket of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), as reflected in the latest report by Transparency International Zambia (TIZ).
Speaking in an interview with Zambia Monitor on Tuesday, Banda warned that corruption would persist if the government continued to appoint individuals based on tribal or political affiliations rather than merit.
“What we see right now is a system where appointments are made based on tribe or political connections, which should not be the case. If we cannot apply meritocracy, then we cannot fight corruption,” he said.
Banda further accused the UPND government of selectively fighting past corruption cases while shielding current leaders with ties to the party or serving in government.
He dismissed Zambia’s CPI improvement from 37 to 39, saying it was not an achievement to celebrate as corruption remained rampant in government institutions, parastatals, and other sectors.
“This index is based on certain tabulations and should not be taken at face value as a sign that corruption is improving,” Banda said.
Read More: Zambia’s corruption perception index shows modest improvement, still below global average
Similarly, Green Party leader Peter Sinkamba echoed Banda’s concerns, arguing that the two-point increase in Zambia’s CPI score did not reflect a meaningful reduction in corruption.
“An improvement from 37 to 39 is not significant, especially in a country where donors are withdrawing aid due to governance concerns. We are still in the same category as Angola, Tanzania, Kenya, and Sudan, which have high corruption levels,” Sinkamba said.
Zambia’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score stands at 39 out of 100, ranking the country 92nd out of 180 nations.
The index, compiled from nine external sources, including the World Bank and private risk consulting firms, assesses corruption perceptions in the public sector.
While Zambia’s score improved by two points from 37 in 2023 to 39 in 2024, moving six places up from 98 to 92 globally, it remained among nations struggling with high corruption levels.
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