Understanding Political Will and Why It Matters to Confront Corruption in Zimbabwe

Abstract

When national programmes, development plans or policy issues are discussed, more often, their success, growth or failure is imputed on ‘political will’ or lack of it. The absence of political will is typically associated with underperformance in national programmes or strategies. It has become increasingly evident that domestic political realities influence the general attitude towards combating corruption and the continued shortcomings of political will as the traditional and initial point of focus. Despite being used to analyse or criticize the unsatisfactory outcome of government programmes and strategies, ‘political will’ has been poorly defined and understood. It remains unclear what political will actually mean, as the term has been widely misused as a catch-all concept. Assessments on political will are more often retrospective, focusing on failed national policies, plans and programmes. Nevertheless, the application of political will as a model illustrates a category of all action-based and orchestrated components that are observable, assessable and conducive to outward strengthening and consolidation. In other words, the application clarifies the extent to which political will can be attained. Considering the political realities in Zimbabwe, effective comprehending and combating corruption also necessitates a hands-on approach and sound understanding of the idea of ‘political will’. Zimbabwe is one of the countries experiencing rampant corruption in the world. Over the years, corruption has manifested itself through deteriorating socio-economic conditions across the country. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to comprehend political will in order to confront corruption in Zimbabwe. The narrow approach to political will was preferred because it illuminates key issues, which inform the current Zimbabwean government’s failure to combat corruption.