Today, 3 September 2021, The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) launches the How Far Campaign.
In launching this campaign, ZIMCODD is calling on all citizens to take interest and participate in the campaign which seeks to raise the public’s awareness on the lack of transparency and accountability by the Zimbabwean government on matters of public finance management.
This campaign is central to ZIMCODD’s work under the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Public Finance Management (STAP) project which seeks to increase citizen’s oversight in accountability through information dissemination and increased platforms for engagement with solution holders.
Government as custodians of public resources has the responsibility of ensuring that information on how they raise and spend public financial resources is made accessible to every citizen so that they can be held accountable to this duty.
Speaking during the campaign launch, the ZIMCODD Director Janet Zhou lamented that “We have been calling for transparency and accountability for long and without it our country continues to bleed out crucial financial resources that could be used to meet our social services, spur development, and guarantee a better future for our children”.
The campaign which is hinged on activating citizens’ agency in demanding for accountability is based on the contemporary expression “How far” which really is not asking about distance but enquiring on progress made in addressing some of the fundamental issues on public finance management. Furthermore, the campaign promotes the right to information of citizens through its catch phrase that “you deserve to know, and I deserve to know”.
With a huge internal debt of ZWL $20.9 Billion and an external debt of USD $10.5 Billion, Zimbabweans need to know how far the country has gone in putting plans to address this huge debt overhang but more importantly what mechanisms are there to avoid the debt from continuously increasing.
On top of Zimbabwe’s unstainable debt, the country continues to lose revenue that can go towards improving service delivery through corruption scandals such as the NSSA, Drax and ZINARA. Furthermore, limited transparency in strategic sectors such as mining has continued to bleed the economy with estimates suggesting that USD $1.8 Billion revenue is lost through smuggling annually.
As part of the campaign, billboards have been erected in strategic places around the country, a music compilation of songs under the “How Far” rhythm has been composed with other information, Education and Communication materials developed and shared to generate citizen’s interest on the campaign.
For more information on the campaign and how to take part kindly visit:… or follow #howfar
You can also communicate with:
Angellah Mandoreba – ZIMCODD Campaigns Officer – angellah@zimcodd.co.zw
Eustinah Tarisayi- ZIMCODD Senior Programmes Officer – eustinah@zimcodd.co.zw
Tel +263242776830/1/5