Zimbabwe joins global anti-corruption seminar in C...

Zimbabwe joins global anti-corruption seminar in China

Philemon Jambaya

Zim Now Editor

Zimbabwean officials are currently participating in a high-level Seminar on Anti-Corruption and Clean Government Construction for Belt and Road Countries, hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. The 21-day program, running from July 1 to July 21, 2025, in Changsha, Hunan, aims to foster international cooperation in anti-corruption efforts and deepen ties between China and Belt and Road nations.

The seminar, organized by Hunan International Business Vocational College, commenced on July 1 with an opening ceremony at Tongcheng Lushan Hotel. Mr. Zhou Jiuhu, Deputy Secretary of the Industry Committee of Social Organizations and Second-Level Researcher of the Organizing Committee of Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce, delivered the opening address, setting the stage for discussions on global corruption governance.

A delegation of seven senior officials from Zimbabwe is actively participating, representing the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. The Zimbabwean representatives include Meme Rumbidzai Zvimba, Tracy Nhamburo, Simbarashe Zvidzai, Onesmus Nyaude, Spiwe Chafungamoyo, Sandra Angie Taziwa, and Gamuchirai Sibongile Zimunhu. In total, 30 senior officials from justice, finance, police, and anti-corruption commissions across nine countries—including Gambia, South Africa, Ghana, Lesotho, Malaysia, Jordan, Solomon Islands, and Costa Rica—are attending the seminar.

The program's curriculum features exchanges with officials and experts from prestigious Chinese institutions such as the Party School of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, Hunan University, Central South University, and Hunan Police College. Topics being covered include "New Challenges in Global Corruption Governance and Their Responses," "Characteristics and Countermeasures of New and Hidden Corruption Cases," "Computer and Network Forensics," and "Anti-corruption Investigation and Crime Scene Management."

Beyond theoretical discussions, participants will engage in practical learning experiences. They are invited to visit anti-corruption education bases and innovative enterprises in Changsha, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. The agenda also includes visits to vocational colleges like Automotive Vocational and Technical University and Hunan International Business Vocational College. These excursions are designed to provide a firsthand understanding of China's economic and social development across different regions and to observe various aspects of its anti-corruption infrastructure.

The seminar's overarching goals are to share China's extensive experience in anti-corruption and clean government construction, explore new models for international cooperation in global anti-corruption, enhance mutual understanding and trust among Belt and Road countries, and lay a solid foundation for multi-level, multi-field practical cooperation between China and participating nations.

The event has garnered significant attention from the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the Department of Education of Hunan Province, and the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province, with all activities progressing smoothly.

The organizing institution, Hunan International Business Vocational College, boasts over 60 years of history and is recognized as a demonstrative higher institution in Hunan Province. It serves as a "National Foreign Trade Industry Export-Oriented Talent Training Base" and a key institution for the Ministry of Commerce's "Talent Strengthening Business Project." Since its approval as an International Business Officials Training Base in 2010, the college has hosted 498 foreign aid training courses, educating 13,334 officials and technicians from over 120 countries and regions in more than 30 fields.