Zim GBC News | Regional Desk
LUSAKA – In a nation where corruption is often described as routine, two Zambian public officers have been formally honored for performing a duty that should be standard: refusing bribes.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) recognized Detective Sergeant Ruth Nyambe and plant health inspector Hendrix Mwinga at the 2025 Integrity Committee CEOs’ Forum, spotlighting their integrity as a commendable exception.
Detective Sergeant Nyambe was confronted with a bribe that escalated from US$5,000 to a staggering US$50,000. The attempt occurred after a suspect was intercepted at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport allegedly carrying US$2 million and suspected gold. Nyambe reported the offer to the Drug Enforcement Commission, leading to a court case.
In a separate incident at the Kazungula border, inspector Hendrix Mwinga refused a K160,000 bribe from a milling company seeking to move a rejected consignment of contaminated wheat. Mwinga stood by his initial decision, ensuring the shipment was sent back.
The public recognition of their actions underscores a painful reality within the region. As one Lusaka-based governance analyst noted,
“The very act of celebrating honesty reveals how deeply compromised the system has become. Integrity shouldn’t be headline news; it should be the baseline.”
The ACC stated the awards aim to encourage a culture of honesty, but the ceremony has sparked broader debate about systemic corruption.
“These officers are heroes not because they did something extraordinary, but because they did their jobs correctly in an environment where that is treated as extraordinary,” a forum attendee remarked.
Their stand serves as a stark reminder that in many public sectors, corruption remains the unspoken norm, making simple acts of duty worthy of national acclaim.
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