Nearly one in four people (24 percent) surveyed in
Swaziland / eSwatini believe their Prime Minister is corrupt, according to a report from Transparency
International.
Nearly one in three (32 percent) think government officials
are corrupt. Just over half (51 percent) think corruption increased in the
previous 12 months.
Although the results show corruption is high in
Swaziland the survey suggests that people think the situation has improved
since 2015. Of those surveyed, 58 percent said the government was doing a ‘good’
job fighting corruption.
Nearly one in five (17 percent) users of public
services reported they had paid a bribe in the past 12 months: 21 percent said
they had paid a bribe to get an ID card; 10 percent said they had bribed the
police.
The results were published on Thursday (11 July 2019)
in the Global Corruption
Barometer (GCB) – Africa survey, a collaboration between Afrobarometer
and Transparency International. It followed a report in January 2019 in which Transparency
International scored Swaziland 38 out of a possible 100 in its Corruption Perceptions Index for
2018. In this scale zero was ‘highly corrupt’ and 100 ‘very clean’.
The index ranks countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption
according to experts and businesspeople.
In May 2019, the
US State Department in its annual review of human rights in Swaziland found
there was a widespread public perception of corruption in the executive and
legislative branches of government and a consensus that the government ‘did
little to combat it’.
It added, ‘There were widespread reports of
immigration and customs officials seeking bribes to issue government documents
such as visas and resident permits. In March police raided the Department of Immigration,
where they confiscated files and arrested and charged two senior immigration
officers. The government filed charges against one of the senior officers based
on allegations she had processed applications for travel documents for foreign
nationals who were not present in, and had never visited, the country.’
It added, ‘Credible reports continued that a person’s
relationship with government officials influenced the awarding of government
contracts; the appointment, employment, and promotion of officials; recruitment
into the security services; and school admissions. Authorities rarely took
action on reported incidents of nepotism.’
In June 2017, the Open
Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) reported the kingdom, was
riddled with corruption in both private and public places.
It said, ‘The results of grand corruption are there
for all to see in the ever increasing wealth of high-level civil servants and
officers of state.’
Swaziland is ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute
monarch. Political parties are banned from taking part in elections and the King
appoints the Prime Minister and government ministers, as well as senior judges
and civil servants.
See also
Swaziland
Auditor General fears fraud as govt pensions paid to the deceased
New
drive against corruption in Swaziland leaves out King Mswati, the biggest drain
on the public purse
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