South Africa is ranked number 46 in the latest Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index.
Although its score of 4,5 on a scale of 10 beat the global average of 4,11 and was way above the average of three for African countries, it only ranked third on the continent — being pipped by Botswana in 32nd place with a score of 5,9 and Tunisia in 43rd place with a score of 4,9.
According to Transparency International, 31 of the 44 African states listed on the CPI 2005 scored less than three — “a sign of rampant corruption”.
Zimbabwe and Zambia were ranked joint 107th with a score of 2,6, while Namibia was 47th (score 4,3), Lesotho 70th (3,4) and Mozambique 97th (2,8).
It was no surprise that Nigeria ranks second worst on the continent and 152nd globally with a score of 1,9.
“Nigeria is marked by severe corruption, and has consistently received one of the worst scores in recent CPIs. This can be attributed to the prolonged military dictatorship and the resultant ad hoc nature of issues of governance. In addition, the lack of emphasis on accountability has led to the entrenchment and institutionalisation of the practice of impunity.
“In particular, anti-corruption initiatives lack a holistic approach and two major components in the legal framework are missing, ie. access to information and whistle-blowers protection laws. Despite this worrying situation, the slight improvement recorded since last year can be attributed to the vigorous pursuit of sanctions by the government and the energising of some structures for combating corruption,” Transparency International noted.
Chad, however, with a score of 1,7, had the dubious distinction of not only being named the most corrupt nation on the African continent, but also the world’s most corrupt state.
According to Transparency International, the African state is marked by political instability, human rights abuses and weak press freedom. Chad is also the location of the challenging World Bank-funded Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline project, which is attempting to defy the “resource curse” by using oil revenues to reduce poverty. The project depends heavily on the political will of the government to respect the rule of law.
“While Chad has achieved a degree of transparency not seen in other oil-rich countries, ongoing reports of mismanagement or corruption must be followed by government action,” points out Transparency International. – I-Net Bridge