Zambia Police and RTSA are the most corrupt public institutions, Bribe Payers Report reveals
File: A traffic policeman attending to a motorist at a roadblock near Chikankata in Mazabuka.
Zambia Police Service and the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) are leading public institutions in corruption, the latest Zambia Bribe Payers Index (ZBPI) has revealed.
The 2012 Index report which was released in Lusaka yesterday by Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) and the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) ranks the two institutions in first and second places on the 16-log index which has the Patent and Companies Registration Office (PACRA) being the least institution involving bribery cases.
Public institutions that followed were the Ministry of Health, the National Registration Office, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Zambia Revenue Authority, ZESCO, the judiciary (courts), passport office and local authorities.
Others were the Ministry of Education, the Immigration Department, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Ministry of Communication, Works, Transport and Supply, ZAMTEL and PACRA in the tail.
A summary of the findings revealed that the overall aggregate bribery score had reduced from 14 per cent in 2009 to 9.8 per cent in 2012.
TIZ president, Lee Habasonda said while it was disappointing that the police still ranked number one as the most corrupt institution, it was gratifying to note that they were the most improved in terms of reduction of bribery in the institution.
Mr Habasonda said it was disappointing to note that the RTSA had moved up the ladder in terms of corruption to rank second among the most corrupt institutions.
In 2009 RTSA was ranked fourth, the Ministry of Health was ranked sixth while the National Registration was ranked second, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources was third.
Mr Habasonda said the results indicated that there was still a lot of work to be done to fight corruption in particular bribery.
“We have however noted that the more an institution relates or has an interface with the general public, the more likely they are to be reported as corrupt and while this is acknowledged, these indicators, as contained in the 2012 ZBPI, are a source of concern,” he said.
He said public institutions were supposed to be institutions of integrity and probity adding that the report should not be seen as a vilification of any of the public institutions but as an opportunity for all institutions that were cited in the report to conduct an introspection and improve.
The report also made a comparison between President Michael Sata’s government in the fight against corruption with that of late President Levy Mwanawasa, in which it stated that the current government exhibited less seriousness but that there was room for improvement.
But compared to former President Rupiah Banda’s administration, the PF government was performing better.
“We implore the PF government to take this report with humility, good faith and goodwill for the betterment of their own record as a government in the fight against corruption. This government has a unique opportunity to make a difference in the fight against corruption. They are the party in power and thus have an opportunity to make a difference by setting the tone and raising the integrity bar through not only word but deed as well,” he said.
Secretary to the Cabinet, Rowland Msiska in a speech read for him by Permanent Secretary for administration, Anna Mwewa, said the information generated from the survey was helpful in understanding the supply side of corruption unlike other perception indices which concentrated on the demand side.
“The findings in this report also indirectly reflect some achievements as well as challenges that need urgent solutions in our continued service delivery reforms, therefore the importance of such survey reports cannot be over emphasised and this government will do everything to support initiatives such as this,” Dr Msiska said.
He commended the ACC and TIZ for exhibiting a public-private partnership for a common purpose and that this should be encouraged as an indirect way of promoting transparency and accountability.
ACC vice chairperson, Steven Moyo hailed the partnership between ACC and TIZ and was hopeful that such a relationship would be extended to other stakeholders and become appropriately institutionalised as part of business relationship between ACC and others involved in the corruption fight.
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Isn’t that where Sata should be directing his anti corruption firepower?…. but,alas that won’t serve his vengeful political purposes of nailing innocent opposition big fish in the guise of fighting corruption.
I don’t understand you tend to mix opinions
You are spot-on #1 Enka Rasha. If Sata is truly allergic to corruption as he claims, this report should make him see red. This is where Sata’s natural gift of wrath and venom should be channelled, and not on opposition political party leaders because it will only self-distrust. However, properly channelled his wrath would reduce this scourge dramatically and bring dividends to the Country and become a blessing to millions. I hope his PR team can seize this opportunity. The fact is no well-meaning investor will knowingly invest in Country where the Police are top of the charts on corruption. It simply will not happen. ..
I KNEW THAT POLICE AND RTSA ARE VERY CORRUPT I JUST NEVER HAD EVIDENCE BUT HERE IT IS………..CAN THESE PEOPLE BE TAMED NOT TO DO SUCH VICES.
Ba police especially traffic officers,ku RTSA is not that bad infant its all civil offers,but
but number one traffic officer in Kitwe they are silly chap mwebu teko twapapa help us road users ba ****** bakula amayanda mumpiya sha bantu its not good .and them just drive cars without road tax.
If The government can allow us to form private organizations to deal with corruption I think that will put fear into those involved in corrupt activities
incomplete report! how are many bembas are involved in those corrupts acts. i think bemba police men/women are the worst
Leave us alone tribalist, you wish you was bemba.
@rexx, I believe the word is “were” and not “was”
Foolish thinking iwe Kolwe
IT TAKES TWO !!!!!!!!!!! CORRUPTION MAKES THINGS QUICK……..
But they must be better ways of sorting it imagine a traffic officer hiding at the traffic lights that are not working properly,then he just jumps on the ati you past orange,believe he is not joking you are going to pay him.
Or set up a speed at an incline that doesnt make sence to me because big trucks need to come fast so that it goes past the incline.
The list of corrupt public institutions is incomplete. It has come to our attention that the most corrupt public institution on this land is the ACC, followed the Police, Sata’s Cabinet and DPP’s Office. The Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) is a very small fish in the sea of corruption where President Sata is single-handedly piloting his wrecked boat. It is amazing how a Republican President takes a centre role in the bloody acts of trying to hide the real killers of Chanda by PF cadres in Livingstone. The Nation is watching IG Libongani and Police Commissioner Katanga closely. God Hear Our Prayers.
Some people are simply useless to even be called humans. And you @Mwansa Kabinga fit the mold pefectly. You are indeed born of a “Mwansa kabinga”!!!
@mwansa kabinga.wel said.
Do they use “ndalama zanyok”o to buy the post?
It is true. More especially Traffic police officers(with white Caps). This vindicates me. I have never seen black capped police officers having lunch from matebeto in Thornpark on a daily service. But police traffic officers are regulars at this venue. In large numbers so to speak. Does it mean they are paid more than their black capped rankmates? Shame on u ba traffic. Your behaviour is like that of harlots. No shyness, no fear. They can do it even in broad day light as long as their fingers itch. But TIZ and ACC, why did u leave out the councils? They must be number two on the index. Evidenced by unnplanned settlements. Building on road accesses an sewer lines. They cant talk because they have chewed. Fimoneni!!!
The councils are mentioned as planning authorities, mukombe.
There’s lack of dicipline in the Police service. There, nchekelako is their daily anthem. The supervisors are weak too, because it is believed that a police officer is the worst criminal and so, once fired, would become the worst danger to society. But I, for one believe in having a cleanup of the entire Zambia police service. Most corrupt cops are now hiding in the name of peace keeping errands going on in war torn countries. Look at their mansions in Chalala, Kitwe, Ndola ete. Their fleets of personal cars, u can name it. All this, mostly pilfered from motor traffic accident victims. Oh my God!! That is blood money ba police!! And u, Stella Libongani, pliz, use yo pen and paper. Make a difference madam. Its time to be at Attention! No fidgeting! Work, can them. Dont favor wrong…
Ntalanda, you are a very shallow minded person on this universe I have ever seen in my life. Well, I am not a police officer, but I am surprised to hear you saying those in peace keeping mission are corrupt and that is why they are building mansions. You mean they practice corruption in the mission areas? You have completely out of the main issue. It clearly shows that you are now JEALOUS of those police officers who are in the mission countries for peace keeping.
This is true and i think the PF governemt is working on this issue.RTSA is much better but traffic officer are worse!!
Ba mambala aba ba BUJU bafunikha kubayasha mambama!!!!!!
traffic officers are corrupt…here in western along senanga road the officers leave town and place their road blocks in the bush….taxi drivers pay a 20pin each trip.they just say give us wat is ours we part ways….
SUCH CHAOS IS ONLY REGISTERED WHERE THERE IS NO LEADERSHIP AND ALSO WHEN THE SO-CALLED LEADERS ARE ALSO CORRUPT. IT IS BOTH FOR THIS CURRENT GOVERNMENT. SATA IS PROMOTING CORRUPTION IN OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE HIMSELF IS CORRUPT! IN ADDITION TO THIS, ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS WITH RAMPANT CORRUPT ACTIVITIES GOING ON ARE HEADED BY BEMBAS. BEMBAS ARE CORRUPT! BEMBAS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DESTROYED OUR COUNTRY.
I am not Bemba and I wish to respect your opinion or freedom of “speech”. Surely Zambia Police is not headed by a Bemba. Stella Libongani is a Lozi.
Ba @Truth, please tell the truth! When did Libongani or Jere become Bembas? Ubupuba ama Tribalists, awe mwe!
Corruption in Zambia is a new phenomenon.
A. True
B. False
C. I only see Zambia through tribal prejudice
D. B and C
Sometimes there is more than one ‘truth’…
I can`t agree more
Zam police is rotten to the core and beyond salvage…and don’t give the lame excuses ati “its because of poverty”.
What about ZRA?
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE GOVERNANCE PROGRAM FOR RTSA? IS THERE ONE FOR ZP?
WE NEED TO SERIOUSLY ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. SINCE IT IS NOT LIKE ZAMBIA AIRWAYS QUALIFYING FOR LIQUIDATION, GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO FIRE EVERYONE AND ASK THEM TO RE-APPLY.
A PREVENTIVE AND DETECTION MECHANISM OF FRAUD AND CORRUPTION MUST BE PUT IN PLACE.
ALL THESE MEASURES WILL ENSURE IMPROVED PUBLIC SERVICES DELIVERY TO THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA.
HEI,ZP ARE BAD NEWS AT ROADBLOCKS THEY SAY CITENI EFYO MUCITA THEN DRIVERS TAKE ENVELOPES TO THE BWANA.TWAKULAMIKOPA NOMBA.
Thats nothing new,since Zambia is existing that always was the case and I tell you it will never change!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE POLICE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SERIOUSLY VERY CORRUPT IN ZAMBIA. EVERYONE KNOWS THIS. EVEN A PERSON WHO COMES FOR THE FIRST TIME INTO ZAMBIA THAT’S THE FIRST THING HE COMES TO KNOW FIRST.
You are spot-on #1 Enka Rasha. If Sata is truly allergic to corruption as he claims, this report should make him see red. This is where Sata’s natural gift of wrath and venom should be channelled, and not on opposition political party leaders because it will only self-distrust. However, properly channelled his wrath would reduce this scourge dramatically and bring dividends to the Country and become a blessing to millions. I hope his PR team can seize this opportunity. The fact is, no well-meaning investor will knowingly invest in Country where the Police are top of the charts on corruption. It simply will not happen.
Sata fighting corruption, when he himself is corrupt you must be joking. Corruption comes in many forms, even by him appointing MPs from the opposition is corruption already. So, how can you expect him to fight the vice?
spot on!!!!!!!!!
FOR A GUY FROM OUTSIDE AFRICA, IT IS EASY TO HAVE A PERCEPTION ABOUT ZP AND RTSA BY SIMPLY STANDING OUTSIDE A HOTEL ROOM TO SEE HOW MANY CARS HAVE ONE OR NO TAIL LIGHTS, ONE OR NO HEAD LUMPS.
THERE IS NO MAGIC IN THIS. IT IS SIMPLE!
Demote, jail, fire the corrupt individuals.
Replace them with new people, who should be told the reason why they got the job is because they person they are replacing was corrupt, and dismissed on those grounds.
For every problem, there is a solution or two. That solution may have been invented already; you need not reinvent the wheel; just use it wisely. My “systems engineer” friend would say: remove the social interface between the police and the road user; replace that interface with a system. Speeding – cameras can sort this; but if you are caught; you go and pay at the bank after an automatic issuance of the court order triggered by the system from RTSA database. These solutions are available, people dont want to use them because they know that their source of income will dissappear. If government stoped the police from taking any money for offences they issue to road users, corruption will reduce.
so?????
Chintalasha you are a ****.
1.we have salaries
2 almost all the police officers keep chickens in there back yards
3 people get loans
4we been foreign missions and we run our own businesses
Etc
Don’t thing you are the only one with one Idiot
I wish their was a way of measuring corruption in political parties.when a corrupt party forms government it sends signals to government institutions that bane let us eat.in short corruption emanates from politicians.
Targeting police, traffic department, hospitals and the like does not answer fundamental questions of national development. Low capacities in the public sector can be resolved first and foremost bu private initiative. If it is hospitals, then utilize private clinics to decongest the public hospitals, However, the real issue here is statistics. Certain services are predominant is terms of visitations or utilization by clients. That creates more chances of making short cuts by way of bribes or such personal initiatives. How many times does one ask for a school place? You see, school place mismanagement will be generally lower than medical consultation management. What is needed is build these capacities step by step. No easy battles here, no easy victories either.
NKA RASHA AND OTHER INVOLVING SATA AND BEING TRIBAL ARE NOT FIT TO LIVE IN OUR CIVILIZED COUNTRY.YO CORRUPT LEADERS E.G.NEVERS,HH ,RB AND SO ON THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED. THEY ARE NOT SACRED AND MUST B DELT WITH,WITH THE HEAVIEST BLOW.
CAN THESE MONSTERS IN DE NAME OF POLICE ND RATSA BE CONFIRNED 2 WHERE DEY BELONG -JAIL!DE PROBLEM WITH ZAMBIA IS DAT SUCH FELLOWS RE HERO WORSHIPPED .U WANT DE PRESIDO 2 LET YO CROOKERED LEADERS GO SCOTFREE? DAT WOULD B DEMONIC!PF STEP UP DE ‘WAR’
DE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION IS TOO CORRUPT. CAN I ASK U PIPO,WHERE DO DE MONIES CORRECTED IN FORM OF SCHOOL FEES GO AND HOW IT Z USED. I BELIEVE FUNDS FROM 1 SECONDARY SCH. 4 EXAMPLE CAN SUSTAIN 0 TS PROGRAMMES INCLUDING TEACHERS’ SALARIES. CORRUPTION !
Don’t target certain institutions.,
ZAMBIANS,LETS BUILD DIS GREAT NATION .ITS NOT ABOUT SATA,MUMBA,HH O ANY ODER IN DE WORLD BUT ABOUT MOTHER ZAMBIA. ITS 4 US O ND GENERATIONS TO COME. WE CAN DO IT. WAT SATA Z DOING WILL REMAIN 4 0.THEREFORE NO CHAOTIC SPIRIT ON UR LAND. BRAVO 2 0.
This was to be expected. There is nothing new. What is missing is how the ACC fares in all this. Why was the ACC not evaluated? Why did TIZ partner with ACC?
it’s like asking the devil to be your saviour.
their salaries are poor..what do you expect..?
Surely there ought to be someone in charge at the top who should ensure that the scourge of corruption is firmly nipped in the bud otherwise we may conclude that the country is ungovernable.
LT, please upload a copy. This list is incomplete. On number 1. joint position should be ZRA, RTSA, Traffic Police (not all Police), Ministry of Sport (They have allowed Kalusha and FAZ to keep on camping in RSA creating jobs there at the expense of Zambians), ACC, DPP, Judiciary, Ministry of Labour, Department of Registration, Immigration. The ZRA chaps knock off with pockets and handbags full of money. When you import goods or vehicle they will be in the forefront re-evaluating the invoice values upwards and ask you to pay something for them to reduce the value down to where it was. The solution is what President Sata is doing by creating districts and provinces which will eventually reduce congestion which is the supply of corruption. One RTSA office cannot serve the whole Zambia.
worse are the traffic who spend 10 hrs on the street. Don’t they have other duties at the office to plan the way forward.
please help sort this mess in Livingstone
Yes, RTSA even fix their own exchange rates at border points if you decide to pay in Kwacha… They made me resort to flying to avoid the mess – it was quite shocking especially that there is nowhere to turn when you need to seek redress at a border point.