Despite its proliferation in local authorities, debilitating effects, ability to undermine service delivery, and derail poverty alleviation efforts in Zimbabwe, corruption, had until recently escaped the attention of the popular press and scholarship. Corruption is endemic across Zimbabwean society and institutions, often escaping censure due to it being accepted as part of normal business by purveyors and victims alike. However, as this paper argues, the culture of corruption has severe effects on not just the moral fabric of society, but also the material wellbeing of people, and warrants immediate and stern action, if Zimbabwe is to escape the vicious cycle of poverty, crime and under-development. While corruption is a national concern, deserving of nation-wide action, this paper focuses on corruption in public resource management. Specifically, it trains its attention on corruption in local authorities. It argues that design defects and the dearth in corruption combatting and public integrity promoting mechanisms in local authorities has led to ad hoc and reactionary anti-corruption activities, which have been met by predictable failure as they are often inadequate, inappropriate, and politicised. This paper also posits that the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing is ill-suited to address corruption in local authorities because of its complicities in the corruption it ought to stem. This is especially so given that when the ministry has acted on corruption, this action has tended to be partisan and factional.
