by Caiphas Chimhete
Governments in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region have vowed to stamp out corruption to safeguard national economies and instil confidence among foreign investors.
“In realising the magnitude, intensity and damage caused by corruption, many countries have put in place organs to combat corruption in their jurisdiction,” says the officer-commanding Criminal Investigations Department, Senior Assistant Commissioner, Frank Msuthu of Zimbabwe.
In southern Africa, corruption has afflicted not only the public sector and parastatals but the private sector as well. It exhibits itself in various forms, like “kickbacks” or “palm greasing” for recommendation of low quality product or awarding a tender to a company which has little to offer.
Corruption in the region includes corporate bribery, drugs, extortion, illegal plundering of natural resources, aid and developmental lending. Angola. Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe have been the most affected countries in the region.
Some countries have established corruption inquiry committees to investigate the extent and make recommendations so that the law can take its course. However, punishing the offenders will need a mechanism that can “net in” high-ranking government officials involved.
Zambia is one of the seriously affected countries in the region. In 1994, Zambia’s Finance Minister Ronald Penza was severely reprimanded for calling the country the “Columbia of Africa” after several cases of drug dealing had been unearthed. Later Zambian president Fredrick Chiluba sacked three politicians on allegations of drug peddling, namely Nakatindi Wina, her husband Sikota and the former minister of foreign affairs, Vernon Mwaanga.
Penza’s words proved true after revelations by the country’s Drug Enforcement Commission that the country has the highest rate of illicit drug dealing cases in southern and central Africa, most of them involving senior government officials. The commission has now launched a number of courses for customs officials on detection methods and techniques at border posts to stamp out the scourge.
In Tanzania. President Benjamin Mkapa is pursuing an anti-corruption drive to weed out corrupt elements from the public and private sectors and has formed a commission of inquiry on corruption.
A report by the Tanzania commission has implicated several senior government officials in corrupt dealings, including the former Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources, Juma Ngasongwa, former president Ali Hassan Mwinyi and his sons, and Former Minister of Land, Marcel Komanya. Ngasongwa resigned from his post because he had been named in the report. The commission was led by a former prime minister, Joseph Warioba.
The business community in Tanzania and the international community has hailed Mkapa for his anticorruption moves. Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) Vice-President Steve Mworia says: “For the business community it is important that corruption is extirpated. This will level the playing field so that there is no favouritism or discrimination.”
Although the World Bank applauded Mkapa’s no-nonsense stance on corruption, it fears that his efforts might be derailed by those still in government who may be corrupt.
In Zimbabwe, corruption manifested itself in the land scandal where some politicians and senior civil servants tried to award themselves with large tracts of land at the expense of thousands of landless peasants.
President Robert Mugabe admitted in 1994 that there were some irregularities and abuse in the way land was being distributed. He even rebuked some cabinet ministers for using their political muscle for their personal gains and ordered them to return the farms they had acquired. However, not all did as ordered and the land problems may still be a thorny issue.
The Transparency International Zimbabwe, chaired by John Makumbe, a political commentator with the University of Zimbabwe, is calling for the establishment of a corruption commission to tackle the problem as in other countries in the region.
The flouting of tender procedures is another form of corruption where many southern African countries are found wanting. The Mail and Guardian says there is “widespread flouting of tendering procedures” in government departments in South Africa.
The Auditor General Henri Kleuver says he has serious doubts about 22 government accounts departments with the main culprits being the departments of health, finance and correctional services. The Health department is said to have spent R58 million unauthorised. The expenditure includes more than R10 million for the controversial Aids play — Sarafina IL
In Zimbabwe, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has called on the government to run clean tender procedures after irregularities surfaced in the awarding of cellular licences. The Tender Board has suspended the awarding of the licence, pending investigations and the matter is in the courts.
Former Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa sees corruption at the top level as a new kind of dictatorship. He says “What has changed since independence came to Africa is the colour of the oppressor. God’s people continue to get poorer … corruption never stops growing.”
Some countries are proposing that senior government officials declare their assets once appointed into office. In Tanzania, leaders are required to itemise their assets and failure to do so will result in prosecution. Namibia, which is also working to stamp out corruption, is drafting a legislation that will require senior government officials to declare their assets.
“Our commitment is based on our belief that nothing undermines a nation or state more than the emergence of corrupt practices …,” says Namibian Prime Minister, Hage Geingob, launching a committee on combating corruption. (SARDC)
