Most South Africans believe corruption is on the rise

Some 58 percent of Africans in the surveyed countries said corruption had increased over the past 12 months, showed the report entitled People and Corruption: Africa Survey 2015, which is part of Transparency’s Global Corruption Barometer.

Over 80% of South Africans who were interviewed thought that corruption had increased over the previous year.

Anti-corruption group Transparency International estimates that 75 million Africans paid a bribe in the past year, in a report that says most Africans believe corruption is getting worse.

A majority of respondents in 18 countries surveyed said their government is doing badly at fighting corruption, particularly in regard to public services such as the courts and police.

The organization’s report also found that people in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Lesotho experienced low levels of corruption.

In both rural and urban areas more poor people said they paid bribes.

“Corruption creates and increases poverty and exclusion”.

The survey found that 25% of respondents in SA believe that the most effective way for ordinary citizens to combat corruption is by reporting their experiences‚ followed by a further 22% who identified the refusal to pay bribes as an effective means to fight corruption. “It is time to say enough and unmask the corrupt”, said Transparency International Chair José Ugaz.

The survey finds that the poorest Africans are hardest hit by bribery.

The report states that most Africans perceive their governments is failing to address graft. “People need to be given the space to stand up against it without fear of retaliation and governments need to get serious about ending the widespread impunity”.

Governments strengthen and enforce legislation on corrupt business people and anti-money laundering to curb the high volume of illicit flows from the continent.

It also calls on the African Union to show political will and finance review mechanisms allowing for the protection of whistle-blowers.

The survey said the slow response to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia and Sierra Leone may have been caused by endemic corruption in governmental circles.