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[Global corruption report 2003] Southern africa
Lodge, Tom
Lodge, Tom
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"The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) seeks to obtain an investment inflow of more than US $60 billion annually to Africa. It is an ambitious target, and success will depend in large part on investor perceptions of governance. Recent electoral frauds in Zambia and Zimbabwe, in addition to the breakdown of the rule of law in Zimbabwe, have contributed to investor nervousness in Southern Africa, making the target still harder to achieve, though confidence in the South African economy remains strong. The indebtedness of most Southern African countries and their dependence on external aid are powerful incentives to demonstrate good governance to donors and investors. Indeed, though NEPAD officials have yet to spell out the precise standards of good governance to which participating countries will be expected to subscribe, some governments in the region have already made formal commitments to anti-corruption principles. Nevertheless, there is considerable evidence of institutional resistance to the implementation of effective measures that address and reduce corruption. Efforts to control corruption were undermined by political interference in a major investigation into arms procurement in South Africa; by a reluctance to prosecute following the murder of corruption investigators in Mozambique; and by non-compliance with parliamentary asset disclosure requirements in several other countries. Meanwhile, two significant instances of electoral fraud – and their apparent toleration by neighbouring states – raise worrying questions about the future of liberal democratic institutions across the region. This is particularly true in Angola and Mozambique, where the ruling parties harbour ingrained ideological objections to such institutions and the codes of governance they represent. Though private sector corruption receives less media attention than its public counterpart, a series of banking scandals in South Africa has prompted business organisations to lobby for and institute stronger corporate governance procedures."
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2003
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1861974760
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With permission of the license/copyright holder