Tackling Corruption to Create a More Just, Prosperous and Corruption Free Southern Africa
SAACoN Chairperson Mr. Obert Chinhamo
Let me start by welcoming all visitors to the website of the Southern African Anti-Corruption Network (SAACoN). We trust that you will enjoy reading different anti-corruption experiences, best practices and tools from the SAACoN membership. Please feel free to give us feedback. We value your feedback since it is an outcome that makes communication continuous and meaningful.
But before I delve into other pertinent issues, let me hasten to say that SAACoN is a coalition of state and non-state actors. It was created in 2019 to facilitate the sharing of anti-corruption experiences, best practices and tools. The coming together of state and non state actors sharing similar values, interests, and goals has allowed us to combine our resources and become more powerful than when each member acted alone. The membership of SAACoN is drawn from Southern Africa, particularly from civil society organisation and government anti-corruption agencies within the SADC Member States in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It would be remiss of us if in these prefatory remarks we fail to acknowledge the achievements that some SADC Member States have made in pursuit of a corruption-free and prosperous Southern Africa. Huge milestones have been achieved in the form of national anti-corruption policy, legal and institutional arrangements to fight the cancer of corruption. Let me also single out the SADC Protocol against Corruption (SPAC), which stands out as one of the flagship achievements of the SADC itself. This helps to demonstrate on paper the existence of political-will and an acknowledgement of collective action by SADC Member States in fighting the menace of corruption.
Nevertheless, we still have a long and cumbersome journey towards a corruption-free Southern Africa. The journey is winding to some whilst to others, it is short and straight forward. The differences lies in dosages of political will in the fight against corruption. We have noted with concern that regardless of the existing efforts, corruption is generally on the increase. The status quo is leaving us with several questions. For instance, we should seek answers on why corruption appears to be spreading and increasing when almost all countries have put in place policy, legal and institutional arrangements to fight it. Why is corruption deepening when when resources given to combat it are increasing?
The region is still beset by this cancer of corruption. A reflection on Transparency International’s 2019 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is more telling. According to Transparency International (2020), Sub-Saharan Africa has emerged as the lowest-scoring region on the 2019 CPI, with an average of 32. This paints a bleak picture as well as revealing gaps in the existing anti-corruption policy, legal and institutional arrangements. Among the three top scorers from the 16 SADC Member States include Seychelles (66/100), Botswana (61/100) and Mauritius (52/100). The three bottom scorers include Democratic Republic of Congo (18/100), Madagascar (24/100) and Zimbabwe (24/100). Considering that the CPI uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean, 75% of the SADC Member States scored less than 50 which shows that they are still failing to tackle public sector corruption. This being the case, more and more action is inevitable.
As SAACoN we have noted with concern that the general citizenry in the region is not happy with the snail pace progress made in the fight against corruption. There is deep discontent and simmering protests against governments that are perceived as corrupt. These protests are understandable and sometimes inevitable considering the deleterious effects of corruption on the well-being of the people. The poor suffer more than the rest in the corruption equation. Corruption poses enormous obstacles and threats to the achievements of global sustainable development goals. “The SADC We Want” becomes elusive and may take long to be realised if corruption remains uncurbed. Based on this reality we know for sure that we can and must do much more to combat it. It is in all our interest to do so.
More to the point, I would say that corruption is, quite simply tantamount to stealing from the poor. It undermines growth and prosperity – not only in the act of siphoning away resources from their intended beneficiaries, but in the long-term effects of services not delivered or compromised. Medication that is not received. The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is disappearing. School supplies are not delivered. Roads are never built when the money disappears. A tour of Sub-Saharan Africa will give testimony to the corrosive impact of corruption on the lives of the poor. This has resulted in trust deficit between citizens and their governments.
Against this background is the reality that most African states are endowed with an abundance of human, mineral and forest resources that are adequate enough to sustain them. Regardless of all these endowments, the citizens remain poor. Most of the assets are stolen and stashed in safe havens abroad for the benefit of the elite. It is high time that we take steps to nip corruption in the bud. Let me also state categorically that all those countries providing safe havens for stolen assets are part of the corruption problem.
SAACoN is calling upon SADC Member States to take action against the “cancer of corruption.” We must work hard to turn aspirations into action. We are happy that most SADC states have adopted zero tolerance policies against corruption. However, it is high time that we start ‘walking the talk’ against corruption.
It is now time to take the anti-corruption fight to another level. SAACoN has faith in collective action.
First, governments, civil society, the private sector, regional and international organizations should be inspired by an agenda that draws on experiences of all partners and available tools to bolster the fight against corruption. It should also be an agenda that builds on sharing the best practices available in each of the SADC Member States and beyond.
Second, the signing and ratification of anti-corruption protocols such as the SADC Protocol against Corruption should not be an end but should be followed by domestication and enforcement processes.
Third, we must continue to push for more information and greater transparency involving public funds. We urge our governments to design and implement secure systems of transfers that ensures the right amount of money would reach the right people on time, transparently and with accountability. This is not only needed in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, but works to build the confidence of the population in the government’s fight against the outbreak.
Fourth, we must ensure greater and radical transparency to drive the prevention and uncovering of corruption in the years ahead.
Fifth, we must innovate and harness technology to drive change around the world. Technology can help us improve service delivery and increase scrutiny of how resources are used.
Sixth, we must do more to get citizens, civil society and the private sector involved. While information is becoming more accessible, it is troubling that the space for citizens and non-state organizations to voice their objections is often diminishing. This has chilling effects on accountability. We must do all we can to protect the defenders of transparency and whistleblowers.
Seventh, Identification, recovery and repatriation of stolen assets is urgent. A partnership of civil society, government, prosecutorial bodies and judiciary is needed to expedite the repatriation of stolen assets
And finally, we know that successful anti-corruption efforts must feature a broad coalition of leaders both inside and outside of government, working together. SAACoN will insist on a right dose of political will in all anti-corruption efforts.
As SAACoN we salute and strongly support SADC Member States for developing the SADC Protocol against Corruption against Corruption, which has already been signed and ratified by a significant majority of its members. We are now calling for the full domestication of the Protocol together with other key instruments such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) as well as the AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC).
SAACoN dedicates itself to fighting the cancer of corruption and move ahead with urgency to stop all those who are stealing from the poor. This is both our moral duty and one of the best possible strategies for socio-economic development.
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