Tanzania: PCCB decries legal constraints in combating corruption
By Special Correspondent, Dodoma – The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) has said that it is facing a number of challenges in its bid to combat corruption in Tanzania ranging from legal constraints to lack of awareness among many Tanzanians.
Speaking in Tanzani’s political capital in Dodoma on Monday when the Country Review Mission of the African Peer Review Mission (APRM) met with the Regional Commissioner, Dr. Rehema Nchimbi, an official of the PCCB from Dodoma regional office, Zakaria Mwandumya told the experts that the current laws affect effective performance of the institution.
“The law as it stands today, the PCCB can only investigate corruption related offences but in turn it is the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who will determine whether or not these cases should be taken to the court,” he said.
He told the visiting APRM mission that out of 24 offences described in the PCCB Act, 2007, the institution has a direct mandate to decide the prosecution of only one offence.
Commenting to the institution’s strategies, Mr. Mwandumbya told the experts that they are now carrying a number of outreach programs to educate the public and especially students on the evil of corruption.
Commenting on the other challenges facing the institution, the Dodoma RC, Dr. Nchimbi told the visiting experts that corruption is also becoming difficult to contain it as those involved do change strategies now and then. She said PCCB experts are now working hard to counter the changing dynamics.
A team of 20 Africa’s finest experts on various areas of governance are in Tanzania to assess how the country is performing in four APRM thematic areas of democracy and political governance; economic governance and management; corporate governance and socio-economic development.
APRM named as the crown jewel of Africa, is a self governance assessment mechanism established in 2003. Tanzania acceded to the process in 2004 and completed its internal self assessment report in 2011 which is now validated by the experts.
