Corruption is more entrenched

Madam,

Corruption in the country has become entrenched, as it involves many people with political power and that the State’s ability to prosecute perpetrators is dismal. The rise of authoritarianism in the country has contributed to this trend and even in a democratic context, the mechanisms that keep government in check have weakened.

In many instances, government has undermined the justice system, restricted civic freedoms and relied on non-democratic strategies to address the challenges it is faced with.

Prosecutions against the biggest players in corruption has not taken place and this fuels businesses and the public’s perception that not much is being done regarding corruption.

POLITICAL CONNECTIONS

If you are a person who is loaded with money and political connections you are allowed to play by a different set of rules. Changing corruption, especially in the government and public service, will be a long-term project for the country that should be focused on and invested in throughout. Short-term expectations will likely be unrealistic and only result in more disillusionment and frustration.

The country needs to ensure accountability and prosecutions of corrupt activities in a difficult eco- nomic climate and rising debt costs. Higher debt servicing costs will mean government needs to pare back spending, possibly impacting negatively on institutions like the police, corruption-prosecution ini- tiatives, intelligence capacities and the like. The country will not be immune from this, where there is already lower trust in government, its departments and the police. The longer economic hardships persist, the more public frustration with government and the status quo will grow. That could entail disdain for or outright ignoring of the rule of law, especially by actors who want to take advantage of that public frustration and desire for any kind of action or change.

However, we are also hopeful that we now have a Cabinet that has the ability to lead and strive for an efficient criminal justice system and will deal with the large percentage of people in positions of political power, who are part of the corruption problem.

L Comins