Photo: RNW

Still, nearly 9 out of 10 people surveyed said they would act against corruption and two-thirds of those who were asked to pay a bribe had refused, suggesting that governments, civil society and the business sector need to do more to engagepeople in thwarting corruption.

Windhoek — According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Namibian society is thus far not riddled with massive acts of bribery compared to other countries where bribery is practised in the open. While the ACC's Director, Paulus Noah, admits that bribery does however take place in Namibia he says it is very difficult to gauge its extent because it is an offence that takes place in the utmost secrecy, usually only between two people.

A broad definition of bribery is 'to persuade someone to act in one's favour, typically illegally or dishonestly, by a gift of money or other inducement'. According to the Global Corruption Barometer 2013, compiled by Transparency International, one in four people around the world report having paid a bribe. Also, 27 per cent of respondents in the survey, which interviewed 114 000 people in 107 countries, admit to having paid a bribe when accessing public services and institutions in the last 12 months. Transparency International is a global organisation advocating for the fight against corruption.

Other interesting results from this year's Global Corruption Barometer include that nearly 9 out of 10 people surveyed said they would act against corruption and two-thirds of those who were asked to pay a bribe had refused. Also, 36 countries view police as the most corrupt, and in those countries an average of 53 per cent of people had been asked to pay a bribe to the police.

Twenty countries view the judiciary as the most corrupt while the barometer indicates that politicians have much to do to regain trust. In 51 countries around the world, political parties are seen as the most corrupt institutions. Fifty-five per cent of respondents think government is run by special interests and around the world people's appraisal of their leaders' efforts to stop corruption is worse than before the financial crisis began in 2008, when 31 per cent said their government's efforts to fight corruption were effective. This year it fell to 22 per cent.

Speaking to New Era yesterday about the extent of bribery in Namibia, the ACC's Noah remarked: "When you don't have exact facts and figures about a specific offence it is very difficult. Bribery is an invisible offence, particularly in Namibia, because it's not like other countries where it is openly practised like at the airports." Noah related being openly asked for a bribe while in transit at an airport in another country and also said that Transparency International provides a "perception" of corruption as it is interpreted through data collected mainly by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Commenting on the overall rampancy of corruption in the country, Noah said: "There is a bright future for Namibia."

The ACC director nevertheless emphasised that policies and procedures have to be implemented "to the letter" in order to stamp out corrupt practices. Here he cited the example of Namibia's public procurement legislation, which is being revamped to identify shortfalls in the system that could entice unscrupulous individuals to take advantage of the system.

"Fighting corruption has to come from the highest offices in the country. In the absence of that you can't expect to make progress in the fight against corruption. We are fortunate in Namibia in that the President and other leaders have taken an active stance against corruption. And I must add that the collective effort made in Namibia is bearing fruit," Noah said.