Angolans Perceive Rising Corruption and Say Citizens Risk Retaliation If They Report It

22 November 2024
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Carlos Pacatolo, David Boio and Rosania Correia Sabino

A growing majority say the government is doing a poor job of fighting graft.

Key findings

  • A majority (54%) of Angolans say corruption in the country grew "somewhat" or "a lot" during the year preceding the survey, a remarkable 21-percentage-point increase compared to 2019.
  • Nearly seven in 10 Angolans (68%) say the government is doing "fairly badly" or "very badly" on fighting corruption in government, a 14-point increase compared to 2019
  • More than six in 10 Angolans (63%) believe that ordinary people risk retaliation or other negative consequences if they report corruption, a 9-point increase compared to 2019.
  • Among those who sought selected public services during the previous year, more than half (55%) say they had to pay a bribe to get assistance from the police, 38% to avoid problems with the police, 48% to obtain a government document, and 31% to obtain medical care.
  • Almost half (47%) of Angolans think that "most" or "all" police officers are involved in corruption. o More than four in 10 (43%) say the same about officials in the Presidency, a 21- point increase compared to 2019.

Between 2017, when President João Lourenço took office, and 2022, Angola's ranking on Transparency International's (2017, 2022) Corruption Perceptions Index improved from 167th place to 116th. This 51-place gain reflected the country's investigations and court cases that suggested a commitment to the fight against corruption, especially involving figures close to former President José Eduardo dos Santos (VOA, 2021; Maka Angola, 2022).

But corruption scandals involving senior police and judicial officials have continued to emerge. One recent example was the dismissal of Eduarda Rodrigues, deputy attorney general and director of the National Asset Recovery Service, attributed to a "loss of trust," underlining the continuing difficulties in fighting corruption (Novo Jornal, 2024).

The issue of corruption is of extreme political importance, as perceptions of corruption weaken one of the pillars of political stability, public trust in institutions (Lagarde, 2018 ; Cho & Kirwin, 2007). This is especially worrying in the context of an electoral authoritarian political regime like Angola's, because mistrust deepens problems of political legitimacy (Boio & Pacatolo, 2024).

But studies indicate that in many African countries, anti-corruption reforms face institutional and political barriers that hinder their implementation (Badlam, Foster, Billings, & DePass, 2021) and increase public scepticism about the effectiveness of anti-corruption initiatives in general (Transparency International, 2023).

Ahead of International Anti-Corruption Day (9 December), this dispatch takes a look at how Angolans perceive their government's efforts to fight corruption.

Findings from Afrobarometer's 2024 survey show that a growing number of Angolans think corruption is on the rise, particularly in public institutions such as the Presidency, Parliament, the public administration, and the national police. A majority rate the government's performance in the fight against corruption as insufficient. Many Angolans report having to pay bribes to obtain government services, and most believe that ordinary people run the risk of retaliation if they report acts of corruption.

Carlos Pacatolo Carlos Pacatolo is the national investigator for Angola.

David Boio David Boio is the co-national investigator for Angola.

Rosania Correia Sabino Rosania Correia Sabino é gestora assistente de projecto da Ovilongwa para o projecto do Afrobarometer.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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