Mmegi

Bribery disadvantages poor African people

Many studies on governance has consistently shown that the scourge of corruption imposes political, economic and social costs on societies where it is widespread and the costs are unequally distributed.

In the words of former UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, “Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately diverting funds intended for development, undermining a government’s ability to provide basic services, and feeding inequality and injustice.”

When it comes to bribery, empirical research in Africa has also consistently found that the impoverished are more likely to pay bribes than those who are well off. Bribery is the act of offering someone money or something valuable in order to persuade them to do something for you. This is very common both in private and public sector but it is within the public sector where the phenomenon of soliciting and paying bribes is very common and having some very harmful impact on the well-being of poor and desperate people of Africa.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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