3 June 2009
Cape Town — Africans are among the most likely of the world's citizens to be forced to pay bribes - but they are also the most confident that their governments are trying to stop the practice, according to a new study.
The study - the only world-wide public opinion survey on people's experiences with corruption - was published on Wednesday by the anti-graft coalition, Transparency International. The survey covered 69 countries, ten of them in Africa: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia.
Of the eight countries in the survey most plagued by what TI called "petty bribery," four were in Africa. In Liberia, 87 percent of respondents reported that they or someone in their household had paid a bribe in the last year. In Sierra Leone the figure was 62 percent and in Cameroon and Uganda it was 55 percent. The lowest figure among African countries reporting petty bribery was in Nigeria, where 17 percent reported a bribe in the past year.
Nigerian respondents also reported the most confidence in their government's fight against corruption - 71 percent believed it to be effective. In Sierra Leone, 64 percent took the same view of their government, while in Ghana the figure was 58 percent and in Liberia and Uganda it was 48 percent.
In Cameroon, however, only a third of respondents expressed confidence in their government's response to corruption, while Senegal fared worst among the African countries surveyed - 16 percent thought the authorities were effective.
The study also surveyed perceptions of corruption among different categories of institutions. It found that Nigerians thought political parties were the most corrupt institutions in their society, while Liberians identified the judiciary as the most corrupt. So did Sierra Leoneans and Ugandans, but they gave the same poor ranking to public officials and civil servants.
Across the board, public officials enjoyed the least confidence among Africans surveyed: apart from Sierra Leoneans and Ugandans, respondents from Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal and Zambia rated the civil service as the most corrupt institution in their society.
The media, business and legislatures fared better in public opinion - in no participating African country were they identified as the most corrupt institution. Of all institutions, the private sector and the media scored best in the survey.
In another finding affecting business, the study found that many Africans would be prepared to pay higher prices to buy goods from corruption-free companies. Respondents from Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia were among those most enthusiastic to deal with honest businesses.
"The message to the private sector from consumers is clear," said Transparency International. "Being clean pays off. Not only does clean business create a level playing field while supporting long-term growth and productivity, it attracts customers."
The study was carried out between October 2008 and March 2009.
Transparency International says the respondents comprise a representative sample of each country's population of 16 and older.
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xuboom totally agree with you the people learn from their governmental leaders who are the chiefs of Bribery so the normal African only does what he/she has seen from their corrupt politicians..
Study like these tend to want to prove the negative. We heard in the past why democracy was not hear in Africa etc. But, I find such so-called research very limited in scope and many times more interested in proving the negative than positive. Be very sceptical about such studies!!!
phiri this study is very wrong I am not skeptical but realize the governments of this region want people to think they are against bribery. I live here day in and day out and yes it plagues the continent as a whole but it starts with the governments. It then pours down to many ordinary Africans and I am not saying all Africans do this or it is their fault but they do as their leaders do. It is the example they see even if it is a bad one...
I have seen it in the market place, police stops, customs and immigrations and well anyone connected with the government well it seems they teach them how to bribe before they start work in any governmental institution.
This makes me laugh because it is these so called governments who teach it to the people not as i class but corrupt politicians is all the people ever see so that in turn will make the everyday person think it is fine to cheat people. The governments are trying to stop this who was this study done by?????
Bribes are used against everyone especially strangers (people from other countries) so no matter where we go we can be bribed from the local market to police stops, border crossings and Customs and Immigration of the countries...
I live here and see it daily so you better go get your story straight before writing again and confirm your sources are accurate...
This is definately a view of a biased. Africans by nature learn from their leaders. They are not the regular "do as I say" type.Corruption in africa is embedded in the political system and so it shouldn't be strange if you expect them to be "do as i say" people.