Zimbabwe Inches Up From 2024 Low But Remains Deep In Corruption Mire
Zimbabwe has recorded a modest one-point improvement on the global corruption index, rising from a score of 21 in 2024 to 22 in 2025, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International on 10 February 2026. The marginal gain lifts the nation from its worst-ever performance since 2015 but leaves it still mired near the bottom of continental and global rankings.
The 2024 score of 21 had marked a devastating three-point drop from 24 in 2023, placing Zimbabwe 158th out of 180 countries and drawing sharp criticism from anti-corruption watchdogs. The 2025 increase to 22, while positive, barely registers against the scale of the collapse that preceded it.
Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) director Tafadzwa Chikumbu addressed the nation’s marginal improvement during the virtual launch of the 2025 CPI on 10 February 2026.
“The mining sector is prone to corruption because it is highly opaque. Most of the activities that happen in that sector are not normally revealed to the public,” he said.
Chikumbu cautioned that a one-point gain does not signal systemic reform. He pointed to secrecy clauses embedded in mining contracts that continue to shield corruption from public scrutiny and widespread illegal fees still extorted from citizens attempting to access health services and school placements.
The organisation has previously warned that corruption thrives where oversight is weak and the poorest citizens pay the highest price. In health and education financing, TIZ has identified chronic underfunding, weak oversight, and opaque management of public resources as key drivers of graft.
A Continent In Crisis, Zimbabwe’s Small Step
The modest improvement occurs against a damning continental backdrop where Sub-Saharan Africa holds an average score of just 32, the lowest of any global region. Only four of the region’s 49 nations scored above the halfway mark of 50.
Paul Banoba, Regional Advisor for Africa at Transparency International, emphasised the urgent need for far more decisive action across the continent.
“Public sector corruption always hits the most vulnerable people the hardest. Despite the African Union’s adoption of the Convention on Preventing and Combatting Corruption more than two decades ago, more needs to be done. African governments need to urgently translate anti-corruption commitments into decisive action.”
The report points to Madagascar, where severe corruption triggered Gen-Z uprisings that toppled the government in October 2025. Protesters accused leaders of profit-making while water, electricity, and other basic services chronically failed.
Africa’s Best And Worst: A Stark Divide
The index reveals a dramatic divide between the continent’s top performers and its most troubled nations. The Seychelles leads Africa with a score of 68, but even this is overshadowed by a major scandal.
“In the Seychelles (68), the region’s top performer, there are growing concerns around the strength of anti-corruption measures following delays with investigating and prosecuting a case involving the alleged money laundering of US$50 million (approx. R950 million),” the report notes.
Africa’s Top 10 (Sub-Saharan Region):
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Seychelles (68)
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Cabo Verde (62)
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Botswana (58)
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Rwanda (58)
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Mauritius (48)
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Namibia (46)
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Senegal (46)
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South Africa (41)
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Ghana (43)
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Benin (45)
Africa’s Bottom 10:
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Somalia (9)
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South Sudan (9)
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Eritrea (13)
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Sudan (14)
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Libya (13)
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Equatorial Guinea (15)
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Burundi (17)
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Democratic Republic of Congo (20)
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Zimbabwe (22)
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Chad (22)
The Funding Gap Undermining Anti-Corruption Efforts
TIZ has repeatedly warned that Zimbabwe’s fight against corruption is severely hamstrung by inadequate resources. In its analysis of the 2026 National Budget, the organisation noted that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) received just 0.079% of the national budget — an allocation it described as grossly inadequate for a country losing an estimated US$1.8 billion (approx. R34.2 billion) annually to corruption.
“ZACC is expected to investigate, prevent, educate and recover assets in a country losing an estimated US$1.8 billion annually to corruption,” TIZ stated. “The allocation is far too low for such a mandate, and there is still no framework to track elite enrichment” .
The organisation has also highlighted that budget allocations alone cannot fix systemic corruption without the timely disbursement of funds. “The message is simple: allocations alone won’t fix the system — disbursements must follow,” TIZ said in its post-budget analysis .
The Global Picture: Leadership In Decline
Globally, the CPI paints a picture of declining integrity. Denmark leads the world’s cleanest nations, but the number of high-scoring countries is shrinking.
Global Top 10:
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Denmark (89)
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Finland (88)
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Singapore (84)
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New Zealand (81)
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Norway (81)
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Sweden (80)
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Switzerland (80)
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Luxembourg (78)
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Netherlands (78)
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Germany (77) / Iceland (77)
The global average has fallen to 42, its lowest in over a decade. François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International, warned of a dangerous trend.
“Corruption is not inevitable. Our research and experience as a global movement fighting corruption show there is a clear blueprint for how to hold power to account for the common good, from democratic processes and independent oversight to a free and open civil society.”
For Zimbabwe, the 2025 CPI offers a sliver of movement in the right direction after the catastrophic collapse of 2024. But with its anti-corruption watchdog starved of funds, prosecutorial capacity unaddressed, and systemic reforms stalled, anti-corruption experts warn that a one-point gain is nowhere near sufficient.
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