By Elishamai A. Ziumbwa
Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) has launched the 2025 edition of its National Bribe Payers Index (NBPI) an initiative aimed at capturing the real-life experiences of everyday Zimbabweans with bribery in their quest to access basic public services.
The nationwide survey, running through the end of August is designed to map out the hidden dynamics of petty corruption—bribes paid not by corporations or political elites but by ordinary citizens trying to secure education, healthcare, police assistance, national ID documents and utilities.
“The 2025 NBPI places particular emphasis on a long-overlooked area: Sexual Corruption and Gendered Bribery. We recognize that corruption is not only about money. It can include the abuse of power to demand sexual favours in return for services,” said TIZ in a statement.
TIZ defines bribery as “the offering, promising, giving, accepting or soliciting of an advantage” to influence decisions in ways that are unethical, illegal or a breach of trust.
These “advantages” can be money, gifts, loans—or even sex.
Unlike past corruption reports that often zero in on high-profile scandals the NBPI offers a bottom-up lens into grassroots corruption, and aims to empower both policymakers and the public with data-driven insights.
The study, which was last conducted in 2021, will span all ten provinces of Zimbabwe and utilise a scientifically designed sample that reflects the diversity of the country—across gender, age, and geography.
Respondents can participate through household interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and even through a secure online survey platform, allowing anonymity and safety in disclosure.
“All data will be anonymised, we encourage citizens to cooperate with our trained researchers and to share their experiences honestly and safely,” TIZ assured the public.
The final report—expected by the end of 2025—will deliver actionable recommendations for government ministries, anti-corruption bodies, civil society, and service providers in both public and private sectors.
