Exposing every-day corruption in Zambia

What is corruption?

What is corruption?

This is what corruption can look like

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  Asking for sex 

  Corruption involves asking for not only money, but also for sex in exchange of jobs, studies, good grades or access to services. This happens often to women and girls in particular. This is a form of corruption, and just because it is so common, it does not mean this is how it should be. Many women and girls struggle to speak up because of feelings of shame and guilt – but it is not their fault.  

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  Asking for money to access services that should be free 

  In Zambia, many public services like health care and education are free. Therefore, you should not be asked to make a payment to see a doctor, to enroll your child to a public school or find work. Someone might suggest that if you give them some money, you might be able to access these services quicker. As these services are supposed to be free, it is likely that this is corruption, and the person will take that money for themselves.  

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  Asking for money for you to avoid a fine 

  You might have been stopped because of an alleged traffic violation, for example speeding or dangerous driving. If you are asked  to make a payment without an official receipt or for you to be able to resolve the matter quickly, it is likely to be corruption.   

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  Excluding community from land deals 

  Corruption in land governance is commonly defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain while carrying out the functions of land administration and land management. When land investors target countries with weak governance, the risk of corruption is high. Land corruption takes many forms such as excluding a community from participating in land deals that impact their lives.  

Help us expose corruption

•  Expose the real scale of every-day corruption in Zambia 

•  Challenge the notion that corruption is the norm

•  Encourage others to open up and share their stories

Share your story

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  1. Tell us what happened. Where have you encountered corruption? What did you do?

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  2. Your story will be shared on this website after being reviewed by our team to make sure that it does not include any identifiable information

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  3. Submit your story anonymously

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  4. Do not add any identifiable information about yourself and other people – if you do, we will not be able to post your story

• “I went to get a driving license at the RATSA office in Lusaka province and I was told that I don’t need to go and drive the car, instead I should just give them a K500 to give the supervisor and his guys and my license will be out.  It is a requirement for one who needs a driving license to have their driving skills tested by RTSA officers but that was not the case for me because they asked me to bribe them.”

• “I was asked by my lecturer to come in to his office. We discussed classes, and then he asked me to have sex with him so that I continue receiving high grades. I wanted to speak to my university but I knew that they had no reliable reporting mechanism, and I felt that nothing would be done. I also felt that it was my fault. It took a long time to realise that it was not my fault, and what he did was wrong.”

• “My child was sick and I went to a hospital in my community. There were a lot of people waiting to see a doctor. The receptionist told me that I could get a better place in the queue if I paid a small fee. It sounded normal to me, and so I did that. They didn’t give me a receipt for it. Speaking to my friend later on, I understood that I did not have to pay, and they just kept my money for themselves.”

• “A traffic officer once had me pay him a k300 because he claimed that I drove when the traffic lights were orange turning red and yet I drove when the lights were blinking  green. Funny thing is there were about 5 other cars behind me that he didn’t stop, I will never forget that day and I still remember his and the female officers’ faces.”