Zimbabwe

Integrity Icon is a national campaign honoring and celebrating integrity-driven public servants. Ordinary citizens can feel disempowered in a world often tainted by corruption and mismanagement. That’s why initiatives like Integrity Icon are paramount—they spotlight champions of integrity, fostering public trust and inspiring others to uphold ethical standards.

We elevate public servants who exemplify integrity, turning everyday individuals into heroes for doing the right thing. Our 2023 Integrity Icons were celebrated at a Summit and Award Ceremony in Harare on November 30th, 2023. You can relive the event by watching it here.

Now, nominations for the 2024 Integrity Icons are open! If you know outstanding public servants who exemplify integrity, nominate them and help us name and fame their contributions, spotlighting the vital role of ordinary people in building strong institutions.

Accountability Lab is building a new generation of active citizens and responsible leaders around the world. We train, mentor and resource citizens in creative ways to strengthen systems of accountability and unleash positive social and economic change. 

Since 2012, we’ve worked across Liberia, Nepal, Mali, Nigeria and Pakistan, making governance work for people everywhere. We now operate in other countries too, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Niger, Mexico, DRC, and Somaliland.

A lack of integrity – which leads to corruption, inequality and insecurity – is a global challenge. Ordinary citizens often feel helpless in the face of graft and mismanagement. There is a need to encourage champions of integrity, which ultimately builds public trust. We ‘name and fame’ public servants who display exemplary integrity and make heroes out of ordinary people doing the right thing.

The value of Integrity Icon is the process, not the outcome. It is a way to create meaningful conversations about what it means to be a public servant and shines a light on the role of ordinary people in strengthening institutions in a society such as ours. It also encourages us to think about what is needed to build an open, inclusive and accountable societies.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

A nominee must:

  • Be a Zimbabwean citizen, working in Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Goromonzi or Harare

  • Be employed by the Government of Zimbabwe in the education or health sectors

  • Be aged 25 – 65 years

  • Be honest and have fulfilled his/her duties and responsibilities as a public servant with integrity

  • Not have been convicted of a crime or any kind of misuse of power, or indicted by any state body

  • Be open to participating in the campaign and the public voting process, and must abide by the decisions of the panel of judges’ and the outcome of the public voting process

  • Be willing to be filmed, with images broadcast on local, national and international media.

2023 Winners

Benediate Bakasa

Stewart Magaya

Alban Mandeya

Francis Mhangwa

Gracious Zhou

INTEGRITY ICON CAMPAIGN TIMELINE:

  • 6 April – 31 May 

    Nominations: The public nominate public servants who embody the value of integrity and demonstrate the importance of honesty, accountability and personal responsibility. 

  • 1 June – 30 June

    Selection: A high level panel of respected social leaders select this year’s Icons.

  • 1 July- 31 August

    Filming: Locally based film production company to work with 5 young aspiring filmmakers to create short mini-documentaries (90 seconds) about the finalists doing their jobs, talking about why it is important to serve with the spirit of accountability and interacting with others who can attest to their integrity.

  • 1 September – 30 September

    National Screening and Public Voting: Short films to be shown on national TV, national and community radio stations, and on social media platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp, and YouTube. The public will be encouraged to vote for their favourite Integrity Icon through SMS, Whatsapp and online. National voting begins on 1 September.

  • 1 September – 30 September

    Local Screenings and Dialogues: The short films will be shown in the Icons’ communities through local partners leading a dialogue with the Icons on understanding some of the systemic public service accountability challenges and the creative ways the Icons are addressing these.

  • 15 October 

    The new cohort of Integrity Icons celebrated at a Final Ceremony and Integrity Summit.

SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN FOR CHANGE:

Our goal is to build a broad movement of people recognising and acknowledging ethics and integrity in the public service. To make this possible, we need you. Support us in one or more of the following ways:

  • Spread our Message

    Help us to raise awareness about the Integrity Icons campaign and its importance for promoting service excellence and turning the tide on corruption and misconduct in the public service. Share stories about our Icons and the campaign; host an engagement with one of our Icons; or profile a public servant you believe epitomises integrity and service excellence.

  • Submit a Nomination

    To name the 2021 cohort of Integrity Icons, we need you to help us identify them. Run a nomination drive at your workplace and in your community. Submit as many nominations as you would like, showcasing how your nominee goes over and above the call of duty to be a model of ethics and integrity in the public service.

  • Sponsor the Awards

    It takes a lot of capacity and resources to run a national campaign, profiling and acknowledging excellence in the public service, and amplifying the importance of doing the right thing. Back our campaign with a donation; support our Film Fellowship; contribute an insert or airtime on your publication, channel or station; or sponsor our awards ceremony.