A coalition of organisations and initiatives have joined forces to develop strategies addressing corruption across Africa, creating a genuine partnership capable of driving long-term reform.
Abundant natural resources, a history of autocratic and unaccountable government and conflict and crisis throughout the continent have combined to pose particular challenges to governance and the fight against corruption in Africa.
Aid provisions have not been immune to corruption and misuse; public services are unevenly provided and of poor quality; civil servants are often so badly paid that they resort to petty corruption in order to survive; and the institutions that are intended to provide checks and balances within the system are generally neither independent nor adequately resourced.
The prospects for systematic reforms that could counter corruption vary considerably among African countries. Many governments are either unwilling or unable to address corruption effectively and progress is slow even in those countries where the political will to reform exists.
In 2004, the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) – through its Strategies Against Corruption project – addressed the perception that corruption is the biggest disincentive to investment in Africa and that small enterprises are particularly vulnerable to it due to excessive red tape.
Working with the BLCF, Southern African Forum Against Corruption, national anti-corruption agencies and private companies, the initiative helped develop joint business-government strategies to implement anti-corruption measures within the South African Development Community (Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia).
Modelled on a successful pilot project to reduce corruption in Botswana, it complements BLCF support for CBC's working partnership with Strategic Business Partnerships to assess regulatory impact and cut red tape. It is original in that it channels the business sector's anti-corruption efforts into actual public reform.
In July 2004, all the stakeholders took part in the project management committee to review the country status reports and plan the project’s implementation.
Botswana then worked with its business sector and agencies to develop a code of conduct: gaps were identified by comparing existing codes with international best practice; key stakeholders contributed; and the redrafted code report was released in October 2005 and then discussed at the Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg. The new Codes of Conduct address disclosure of interest for politicians, civil servants and business leaders, an issue identified as critical to improving transparency of government contracting. The Codes are now being prepared for legislation.
Malawi adopted all the recommendations from the country assessment report and has drawn up a national strategy against corruption. BAAC Malawi – the Joint working group of private sector, civil society and government, was established. With the codes of conduct completed, companies are now currently signing letters of commitment signing up to them.
Meanwhile Zambia measured the perceptions of corruption and has since engaged key stakeholders in a corruption discussion forum. In February 2007, the Anti Corruption Commission of Zambia, BAAC and South African Forum Against Corruption conducted the first Codes of Conduct meeting outlining a way forward for the joint Government –Private Sector strategies to combat corruption.
This initiative has become a continent-wide private-public coalition against corruption, bringing together previously isolated initiatives from across Africa, including programs under the Convention on Business Integrity in Nigeria and the continental organisation AICC, as well as new country programmes in Cameroon and Malawi.
Two major successes of the project's action plan have been the development of media partnerships to encourage more frequent published reports on corruption, and also an education and awareness program which saw the successful development and launch of the www.hokoyo.org website in August 2006.
Throughout the project's two-year life and beyond, enthusiasm has mounted and successes have been built on, largely through the linkages created and the commitment of the private sector and governments to act together in a genuine partnership. The linkages include – but are in no way restricted to – Shell, Anglo American, international business consultancy Crown Agents, Africa Corporate Sustainability Forum, G8 Business Action for Africa, the British government, New Partnerships for Africa Development (NEPAD), human rights organisations, national anti-corruption agencies and a growing number of African project partners.
NEPAD - a peer review mechanism - has initiated a benchmarking programme to develop a systematic approach to addressing corruption, while strategies against corruption were adopted as Business Action for Africa's flagship governance programme, branded as a continental campaign by Business Action Against Corruption (BAAC).
Throughout the region, civil society is becoming increasingly active and outspoken concerning issues of governance and corruption. The media in many African countries are independent and critical, with corruption now publicly debated. National strategies are being developed and businesses are taking stronger leadership in implementation.
The major lesson from the project is that while political will is crucial in driving reform, it is essential to combine change agents from all sectors of society and government such that problems are addressed collaboratively and collectively.
For more information contact BLCF fund manager, the Emerging Markets Group at this address