Bribery in Zimbabwe

In the context of Zimbabwean politics, the issue of bribery is identified as a systemic tool used by political elites to secure control, manipulate electoral processes, and keep citizens in a state of perpetual dependency.


1. An Instrument of Disempowerment and Dependency
A Pillar of Toxic Political Culture: Dzikamai Bere, the National Director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), identifies bribery as one of the three foundational pillars of Zimbabwe's toxic electoral culture (alongside violence and cultism).

The Illusion of Handouts: When elections approach, politicians flood communities with an "overflow of seed" and other material goodies to secure votes.

The "Disempowerment Gift": Bere argues that these handouts are not acts of genuine empowerment, but rather "disempowerment gifts." Because these goods are delivered only during election periods to secure political alignment, they fail to build sustainable community self-reliance and instead perpetuate a cycle of dependency.

To fight this, ZimRights' People's Human Rights Manifesto outlines key demands designed to dismantle this transactional relationship and shift power back to the citizens.

2. Undermining Legitimate Leadership and Governance
Hollow Authority: Former Finance Minister Dr. Simba Makoni emphasizes that bribery robs leadership of its legitimacy. He argues that when a political leader holds an office simply because they "bought the voters," they are not truly leading or "in the chair" in any meaningful way.

Systemic "Backhanders" and Materialism: Makoni also connects bribery to grand corruption at the macroeconomic level, pointing to lucrative "backhanders on contracts" (such as road-paving projects) and an elite culture focused on material accumulation rather than public service.

Ultimately, this transactional environment has trickled down from the leadership into society, eroding traditional values of honesty and trust, and leaving behind what Makoni diagnoses as a deeply "broken society"