How does a democracy become more honest? The question is worth asking in light of the most recent survey of public attitudes about corruption across Africa.
Over the past 20 years, all but five African countries have ratified a common convention to “prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption and related offenses in the public and private sectors”. However, across 39 countries, 2 in 3 Africans say their government is failing to curb corruption, according to an Afrobarometer survey published in late 2023. Just 1 in 4 say they can report corruption without fear of reprisal, while 58 % say corruption has increased “somewhat” or “a lot” over the past year.
Rather than pessimism, however, these views may reflect how the continent’s shared aspirations for more integrity have increased public demand for it, expressed through citizen participation. Sierra Leone provides a useful example.
Not without controversy, the West African country has seen some of the most steady progress in global corruption rankings in recent years among African states. It has climbed 20 rungs on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index over the past six years. The Millennium Challenge Corp., an initiative to support good governance created by the US Congress, gave it a score of 76% for “controlling corruption”.
Sierra Leone’s effort to root out corruption is part of the gradual restoration of democracy in the country after a civil war in the 1990s. The country has sought to heal its wounds through a traditional form of transitional justice. It has now had two successive peaceful transfers of power – still an exception in Africa. It now has a 98% completion rate in primary school, with girls outnumbering boys.
To fight corruption, the government has sought a balance between aggressive law enforcement and protection of individual rights. A constitutional anti-corruption commission has the power to conduct raids without warrants. But it also conducts cooperative audits with government agencies to detect and correct irregularities. Whistleblowers are authorized. Public services such as hospitals and police stations are required to provide information on how citizens can make complaints.
Critics claim the government targets political opponents and harasses journalists, but its focus on corruption has also encouraged public participation. Last August, for example, 40 civil society organizations held a summit to coordinate their own anti-corruption initiatives – including auditing the government. This had never happened before.
In the Afrobarometer survey, only 11% of Africans cited corruption as their main concern. Their priorities included unemployment, managing the economy, health care, clean water and education – all of which require honest and responsible governance. “In a continent where governments are struggling to raise revenue to meet the basic needs of citizens,” the survey concluded, “most Africans see [corruption] as worsening and their leaders’ anti-corruption efforts as insufficient’.
Within this lament is a message that reaches across Africa – that encouraging an expectation of honesty becomes a catalyst for it.
How does a democracy become more honest? The question is worth asking in light of the most recent survey of public attitudes about corruption across Africa.
Over the past 20 years, all but five African countries have ratified a common convention to “prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption and related offenses in the public and private sectors”. However, across 39 countries, 2 in 3 Africans say their government is failing to curb corruption, according to an Afrobarometer survey published in late 2023. Just 1 in 4 say they can report corruption without fear of reprisal, while 58 % say corruption has increased “somewhat” or “a lot” over the past year.
Rather than pessimism, however, these views may reflect how the continent’s shared aspirations for more integrity have increased public demand for it, expressed through citizen participation. Sierra Leone provides a useful example.
Not without controversy, the West African country has seen some of the most steady progress in global corruption rankings in recent years among African states. It has climbed 20 rungs on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index over the past six years. The Millennium Challenge Corp., an initiative to support good governance created by the US Congress, gave it a score of 76% for “controlling corruption” – a high score it has consistently achieved over the same period.
Sierra Leone’s effort to root out corruption is part of the gradual restoration of democracy in the country after a civil war in the 1990s. The country has sought to heal its wounds through a traditional form of transitional justice. It has now had two successive peaceful transfers of power – still an exception in Africa. It now has a 98% completion rate in primary school, with girls outnumbering boys.
To fight corruption, the government has sought a balance between aggressive law enforcement and protection of individual rights. A constitutional anti-corruption commission has the power to conduct raids without warrants. But it also conducts cooperative audits with government agencies to detect and correct irregularities. Whistleblowers are authorized. Public services such as hospitals and police stations are required to provide information on how citizens can make complaints.
Critics claim the government targets political opponents and harasses journalists, but its focus on corruption has also encouraged public participation. Last August, for example, 40 civil society organizations held a summit to coordinate their own anti-corruption initiatives – including auditing the government. This had never happened before.
In the Afrobarometer survey, only 11% of Africans cited corruption as their main concern. Their priorities included unemployment, managing the economy, health care, clean water and education – all of which require honest and responsible governance. “In a continent where governments are struggling to raise revenue to meet the basic needs of citizens,” the survey concluded, “most Africans see [corruption] as worsening and their leaders’ anti-corruption efforts as insufficient’.
This lament conveys a message that reaches across Africa – that encouraging an expectation of honest governance becomes a catalyst for it.