TI Secretariat fully supports steps being taken by TI Zimbabwe in line with donor evaluation report

Contrary to a story in Zimbabwe government weekly The Sunday Mail, EU and Norad have not frozen funding to TI Zimbabwe (TI-Z), and donors are confident that TI-Z is implementing their recommendations

"The EU and Norad have not frozen funding for TI Zimbabwe (TI-Z)," stated Transparency International (TI) today. "The allegation, made in a report published by The Sunday Mail on 28 March 2004, is false, and both the donors in question and the TI Secretariat fully support the steps being undertaken by TI-Z to implement the donors' recommendations." TI-Z is the national chapter in Zimbabwe of TI, the leading international non-governmental organisation engaged in fighting corruption worldwide.

The funding by the European Union and the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation of the work of TI-Z for 2001-3 included a contractual requirement for an evaluation report before a second phase of funding would be considered. The TI international Board of Directors has been fully informed of the Evaluation Report, prepared by a consultant for the EU and Norad, and welcomes the evaluation by the donors. TI stated today that "TI Zimbabwe is acting to implement the donors' recommendations, and the TI Secretariat is fully supportive of the steps being undertaken."

The report in The Sunday Mail, based on the donors' Evaluation Report of Transparency International Zimbabwe (TI-Z), is inaccurate, and TI-Z is taking steps to ensure that it meets the requirements of its donors, said TI. " The Sunday Mail report omits to mention steps being taken by TI-Z to implement the evaluation report's recommendations," stated TI, "and incorrectly represents the positions of the donors who commissioned the evaluation."

In a letter to the Editor of The Sunday Mail, the EU Head of Delegation to Zimbabwe, Francesca Mosca, stated: "The Delegation of the European Commission in Zimbabwe wishes to point out that the donors have not slammed TI-Z and [TI-Z Chair] Dr Makumbe as your ( Sunday Mail) headline in last week's Edition suggests nor has it frozen payments. We are confident that TI-Z is implementing the recommendations of the evaluation referred to and we continue to believe that TI-Z is making a valuable contribution to combating corruption in Zimbabwe."

EU and Norad supported the initial phase of TI-Z's activities from 2001 to 2003. The contractual agreement of the first phase committed TI-Z to conducting an evaluation report before a review of funding for the second phase could be considered. The evaluation was conducted between September and November 2003. There has been satisfactory discussion between all parties throughout the evaluation exercise and the donors have been assured of the full commitment of TI-Z to implement the recommendations of the evaluation.

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John Makumbe
Chairman, Transparency International Zimbabwe
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