ZIMBABWE RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS Despite the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act, most public institutions scored poorly, with an average of 13. This reflects either an unawareness of the new law’s provisions or a reluctance to comply. Training and awareness programmes must be escalated to familiarise citizens and public institutions with the FOIA. It is also necessary to escalate litigation against non-complying public institutions to raise awareness about the law and enforce accountability. The following institutions were also assessed in the previous report (2020 Transparency Assessment Report): y Mutare City Council in 2020 had 12 points; this year, it has gained five points with only notable improvements in its response to information requests. y The Ministry of Women’s Affairs scored 12 points in 2020. It has gained 2 points in this assessment. y The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education scored 25 points in 2020. This year, the ministry scored only 7 points. The loss is due to the information request which was not granted. THE MOST SECRETIVE PUBLIC ORGANISATION IN ZIMBABWE THE MOST OPEN PUBLIC ORGANISATION IN ZIMBABWE The Lupane Local Board does not have a website, and its Facebook page was last updated in 2020. They did not acknowledge the request for information. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority has an up-to-date and easy-to-navigate website. The authority has vibrant social media platforms with Instagram, Linkedin, X and Facebook accounts. The request for information was granted within 7 days. Therefore, the 2023 Golden Padlock Award goes to the Lupane Local Board. Therefore, the 2023 Golden Key Award goes to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority. RECOMMENDATIONS Public institutions should: y Proactively disseminate information and seek citizen feedback to transform the relationship between citizens and governments. y Establish a one-stop information hub, which could be merged with the Official Government of Zimbabwe Web Portal. y Publish their procedures for handling information requests. y Encourage a culture of openness and transparency by reactively and proactively sharing information. y Be trained to understand the law and the obligations to provide ATI. y Repeal or amend some laws, such as the Cyber and Data Protection Act. 127