December 9 marked International Anti-Corruption Day and there was no better day than that one for Batswana to take another honest look in the mirror. The day has been set aside by the United Nations (UN) to promote awareness of corruption and of the role of the countries in combatting and preventing it. The General Assembly approved the United Nations Convention on 31 October 2003 against Corruption as the first step towards tackling corruption. Since that time, 188 parties had agreed to uphold the Convention’s anti-corruption commitments and acknowledge the significance of fair political commitment, accountability, and governance. This is because corruption is not a problem unique to one country or continent. It is a worldwide, disastrous phenomenon.
In Botswana, it was only a few weeks ago that through the AfroBarometer survey Batswana made a general assessment of what they think about corruption in their land. Almost 80 percent (eight in 10) of Batswana said that “some” officials at the office of the president are corrupt, including fully half (50%) who believe that “most” or “all” of them are involved in corruption. Only six percent see no corruption in the Presidency. The AfroBarometer survey was carried out in July-August 2022.
The survey, just like others, gives the government, or rather the presidency an idea of what the people think. The AfroBarometer survey should not be taken lightly. This is because whether real or perceived, corruption is as harmful as it is pervasive. It does not only undermine the credibility of the public sector but also erodes trust in governments. There is no single government that is tolerant of corruption that can steer its people to achieve high economic growth and so-called shared prosperity. No matter how minor, abuses of power for private gain disproportionately tax the poor, undermine meritocracy in the government, and inhibit free market competition.
In the long term, these processes deepen social inequality and eat away at democratic institutions. Corruption does not only thrive under conditions of high inequality and low trust, but in turn, it leads to more inequality. For many countries, the trap is inescapable. In our case, it is easy to gauge its impact. We are the third most unequal nation in the world. Our labour market is marred by a structurally high unemployment rate more especially that of the youth. There is no disguising that Botswana’s socio-economic and fiscal stability has been reversed by poverty. Even in the wake of wins as outlined by President Mokgweetsi Masisi in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) read in mid-November the clouds of uncertainty remain above our heads. This is why it is vital that we immediately build back and better, an economy that is more truly inclusive. An inclusive economy for example could mean capacitating Batswana (NOW) to set up mini-factories (maybe one per district) that make juice from fruits that would be produced from the Selebi Phikwe Citrus project.
An exclusive economy would mean some of the major shareholders will set up such factories, use their trucks to transport the produce, and sell it in their chain stores. With an exclusive economy, we will never be able to design interventions that can tackle corruption at its roots. With an exclusive economy, corruption will remain one of the greatest challenges that jeopardise the prosperity of our people and stability in our society. That is why it is vital to recommit to the collaborative effort in confronting and eliminating corruption on our shores. Experts on this subject will tell you that systemic corruption becomes particularly prevalent in the absence of adequate legislative control, judicial or autonomous control bodies, media professionals, and representatives of independent civil society. As we look in the mirror, what do we see?
Do we have effective media professionals, an independent judiciary, and a parliament or the odds are now against the nation? If the answer to this question is NO, then surely we have lots of work to do. This is because hard-hitting independent journalism can act as an indirect check on corruption by informing public debate in a way that enhances political and economic competition. The judiciary on the other hand can help send the corrupt to jail while parliament should be allowed to act as oversight on the executive which is in control of the public purse. With the AfroBarometer survey suggesting that in our shores corruption could be happening in the highest land in the land, those in power should take action now to end it. Unfortunately, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), a state organ that could help us fight corruption remains without a substantive leader.
Its Director General Tymon Katholo has been home for almost six months now after being suspended by the office of the President. This is an office that the AfroBarometer survey has since declared to be the most corrupt. Could this perhaps explain why to date the nation has not been told when Katholo will return to office nor has it been advised on possible disciplinary action against him if any? This says a lot about our relationship and understanding of transparency. Transparency is all about knowing who, why, what, how, and how much. Surely a headless DCEC cannot fully answer these questions. Without a transparent answer to these questions can we win against corruption? The answer is a big NO. This means corruption remains our dirty secret and the #Bottomline is that as long as it exists and grows, we are breeding a fertile ground for organised criminal activities.
