Critical Commentary
Ruth Uwandu Chiamaka (Nigeria)
The issue of corruption is not a day's discussion..it has eaten deep into the fabrics of most government officials to the extent that it has become a familiar parlance among the masses as they are the ones receiving the brunt of it all.In my country Nigeria, it is no gainsaying that there is a high level of corruption among the government officials which is visible in different situations such as unfinished projects, poor and low quality infrastructures, rising unemployment hampered by bureaucracy and red tapism etc, Lack of good water for some masses..high number of children roaming the streets in search of food, lacking basic education and what have you. It is a case of enriching themselves whenever there is allocation of funds for the implementation of certain projects meant for the benefits of the masses, extortion of public funds for personal use and in the end what do we have - unfinished projects, low quality projects or inability for the benefits of the projects to meet it's initial purpose. There are series of cases in Nigeria where government officials embezzle National funds, many have gone unnoticed and many receive little or no punishment. It is very alarming and appalling that I think we all need to help my country Nigeria in battling the menace caused by this word called 'Corruption'.
Mohamed Osman Muhumed (Somalia)
Corruption is a disease that continues to deplete not only resources but also affects the perception of the people. In Africa, it is a norm that is practiced at every sector and it is considered as part of daily expenses and incomes. Majority of the world's most corrupted countries are in Africa which is in fact a dreadful and sickening trajectory. Even though, fighting corruption is a song sung everywhere across the continent, we are not yet able to reduce the addiction. Traditionally, governments used to be the platform for looting and misusing public funds, but currently it is even more rampant in the civil society organizations in many countries. The youth aspire to hold public offices to gain fame and make riches like the current elites, and those with honest and clear vision easily fall into the trap and the corruption trail of those who appoint them. Our governments are downplayed at the international arenas through corruption and are made to blindly compromise on the future of the continent for myopic, self-centric and state-centric gains. As a result, we become the global champions in poverty, insecurity and conflicts. It is the time to act. We need to educate our peoples, we need to influence governments to provide checks and balances and build transparent and strong institutions. Let's fight corruption at every level. Fighting corruption is the best way to end coloniality.
Tjaantjies Nku (South Africa)
We need to form our own institutions as African youthto address our problems collectively.. These old people are enriching their families, making promises to us and waiting for handouts from the EU or America. Which we never see because they make sure it never gets to us! We need an African Revolution!
We need to establish an independent African media platform so we can shine a light on these matters. These things thrive within the borders of a country where an elected headof state becomes an omnipotent king and no longer has any accountability to the electorate. They hide behind borders and isolate their people just like abusive husbands do.We must try corrupt leaders in our own central supreme court of Africa! The collective justice system of Africa must be independent of individual political processes to avoid politically motivated interference. SADC can never be impartial because it was formed by people who now support each others corruption, as leaders who were part of the "struggle" for "liberation". For example Zuma will never allow SADC to remove Mugabe because both of them are buddies who in turn support corrupt leaders of Lesotho.