Corruption and the People of Tanzania
Ipyana A. Mwamugobole
Introduction
Corruption is a problem of the whole world. People have been struggling – day and night –
searching for solutions to the problem. Many countries devote their time and energy trying to
combat corruption. Although many experts or researchers have come up with different
definitions with regard to corruption, still there is no one among them who came up with an
argument showing that corruption is good. All definitions show that corruption is bad, is
something negative, therefore people are called upon to fight against it. Looking at the
definitions – one can agree that amendments should be made, but how corruption is defined is
sometimes not sufficient to reveal the real situations people are facing. Some definitions fail
to give a real and true picture of what corruption is all about. I have come across definitions
like these: Corruption is the perversion or destruction of integrity or fidelity in the discharge
of public duties by bribery or favour (Oxford English Dictionary) – Corruption is the misuse
of public power for private profit (Transparency International) – Corruption is an act whereby
politicians or civil servants through improper and unlawful means enrich themselves or their
friends or relatives using the power entrusted to them. All these definitions work properly in
theory, but not in practical experience. There corruption is a killer of many people, their
deaths being caused by those who want to enrich themselves through illegal acts, it is a
weapon that causes psychological and physical deaths of people even of those involved in
corruption.
Corruption in Action
Where corruption is not denounced, people are always in danger. A person can be given a
driving licence without attending any driving lessons, and then be found driving a bus with 50
passengers. What does one expect from such a driver if not accidents that cause the deaths of
many innocent people? A person can – through bribery – obtain all the documents proving
that he is a medical doctor and be employed in a hospital. What do you expect from such a
person? A woman whose husband has died from HIV/AIDS needs a death certificate for
inheritance purposes. In the process she meets an official who asks sex of her as a bribe for
the death certificate! In some corrupt countries it is even possible to obtain a death certificate
for a living person! Corruption is real and dangerous in all its aspects and for everyone – the
corrupt and uncorrupted, givers and receivers of bribes. The incapable driver’s accident can
involve the traffic officer who gave him his driving licence – the incapable medical doctor
might cause the death of the corrupt person who let him obtain his documents illegally.
The above mentioned manifestations of corruption are not the only ones which bring many
countries to hell but also corruption involving “big fish”, big companies. These big fish are
either trained well enough to escape from the government’s “nets”, or the holes of the “nets”
are too big to catch them. This is really troubling many people, for they believe that if the
holes of any net are big, then the small fish will escape without any problems, while the big
fish are always the victims. But this is not the case. Surprisingly, many people have seen a net
with big holes allowing big fish to pass through while catching small ones! These big fish are
the big actors of grand corruption. Grand corruption is practised not only by citizens, but also
by – or in collaboration with – foreign individuals. Tanzania faced this problem during the
process of buying its radar. While petty corruption is caused by the challenges of life faced by
many individuals, grand corruption affects the economic status of countries. Grand corruption
destabilizes many governments, for the amount of stolen money affects all their plans and
strategies.
All these practices have affected individuals and the government of Tanzania. Many people
have failed to live as human beings, many have involved themselves in crimes just to meet
their needs, and many of those people are now in prison. Corruption has made it difficult for
lots of qualified people to get jobs: from women sexual bribery is required, while from men it
is money. Due to corruption, some Tanzanians have been denied their rights, for their rights
have been sold to others. When the judiciary is involved in corruption, too, that is when the
rights of many people are in danger. Trust is among the most affected aspects of life. Many
Tanzanians have lost their trust in their government, in government officials, in police
officers. Furthermore, some of them have even lost their trust in the most trustworthy civil
servants thinking that all civil servants are corrupt. This compels many to bribe even when
they are not asked to do so, for they think all civil servants are alike.
What should be done?
To start with “what should be done”, will be to insult the Tanzanians and their government,
for they have already been applying different skills to fight corruption. I find it good to start
by “what has been done so far” and end up with “what should be done”. It is also worthwhile
to discuss the role of the government and that of the civil society separately.
The Tanzanian Government and Corruption
The Tanzanian government admits that corruption exists, and even among some unfaithful
individuals who are or were government officials. The government admits that corruption is
dangerous enough to declare a fight against it. This is a big step in combating corruption. The
government, knowing this truth, has established an organ to lead in this fight: the Prevention
and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB). And the government has already established
various organs in nearly all the ministries to monitor and make sure corruption is fought
successfully.
Concerning the “big fish”, the Tanzanians have started to experience something new. Some
years back “small fish” were captured and thrown into jail while the “big fish” continued to
relax. But recently, some “big fish” have been caught and taken to court. So the government
has done something. But it must struggle to capture all the corrupt people and bring them to
trial. Sometimes the government seems too slow to act thus giving “life line” to the accused
ones. It was e.g. aware of the EPA scandal, and the former governor of the Bank of Tanzania
could have provided the necessary evidence to help the government to capture the “big fish”
involved in the scandal. However, the government started to work on it after the governor had
passed away. This compels many people to think the government is too slow.
To fight against corruption successfully a clear statement from the mouth of a clean
government official is needed. The government needs a clear stance on the fight and it needs
to clean its own house first. Recently people have accused some government officials of their
involvement in corruption: and the government reacted accordingly. As a result some
government officials resigned, not necessarily because they were directly involved in
scandals, but for the sake of good governance they had to do so.
Moreover, the Tanzanian government is working on improving the income of civil servants so
as to enable them to do away with temptations. It is also on its way to establish a code of law
to deal with leadership ethics.
The government of Tanzania is, however, expected to prove more and more (in words and in
deeds) that it considers the fight against corruption a number one priority. Being clean, giving
clear statements and applying the rule of law equally to all citizens is very important. It is
considered as a failure in this fight when the government does not treat those convicted of this
crime equally. One can fail to understand why the government asked those involved in the
EPA scandal to pay money back and promised them freedom instead of bringing them to
justice. This was a big failure, because many “small fish” are in jail without being asked to
return what they have stolen and be free. Many of these “small fish” could probably have
done the same if they had been asked to bring back what they stole. This makes people ask;
“Why does the government sometimes seem to handle the “big fish” like a glass?” This calls
for equality on the side of the government when applying the rule of law to its citizens with
regard to the fight against corruption.
Civil Society in Fighting Corruption
In every country the civil society is a catalyst, especially in bringing about change. The
Tanzanian society has been pressurizing the government officials to fight corruption while
urging the corrupt ones to stop it. Newspapers have been revealing situations and leaders on
their front pages.
Many Tanzanians do no longer fear to let their views reach the proper official, they even stop
the President’s convoy or carry placards telling him what they believe to be important. The
most recent event occurred in the Mbeya region where people urged the President to bring to
trial all those who were involved in the EPA scandal. This proves that the Tanzanians are
serious about fighting against corruption and that faithful leaders are ready to cooperate.
Religious Organisations
Religious organisations are also part of the civil society and many agree that such
organisations have done a lot in many African countries, e.g. fighting against apartheid in
South Africa. Religious organisations in Tanzania do the same. They preach against
corruption, and they educate people to know their rights; they provide education on
democracy. However, among other things, conflicts between and conflicts within religious
organisations hinder them from participating fully in the fight.
One reason why religious organisations or institutions sometimes fail to fight against
corruption is the fact that corruption has also entered these “sacred organisations” through
individual members. This hinders many from giving a clear statement against corruption for
many corrupt people know that corruption exists also in churches and in other religious
bodies. As it is a fact that the life of the preacher matters more than the preaching itself, so
does the life of any religious body. This is a great challenge to churches and other religious
bodies in Tanzania. Any act related to corruption within religious bodies must be stopped;
otherwise the voice of such bodies is not heard nor respected.
Conclusion
Corruption destabilizes every country. Unity and trust among the citizens are the things
mostly affected by corruption. The government and civil society of Tanzania have taken steps
but they must respond to the problem accordingly and timely. People have exposed corruption
and corrupt leaders, but they should be empowered through education. Those who have lost
hope, who think they can’t win the battle against corruption, should be encouraged and be told
Obama’s campaigning words: “Yes you can!” If they feel unable to fight, let them hear from
every corner “Yes you can”. A good friend of the Tanzanians is the one who tells them, “I
believe, you can fight corruption, you have the power to do so, and we are together to make
sure you’ll succeed.” Let it be a message of this seminar to the Tanzanians.
Religious leaders should remember that they win people if they involve themselves and
participate fully in fighting what is troubling their members. Otherwise, religion becomes
irrelevant to the people living today.
For the fight against corruption is too big to be fought individually, all Tanzanians, and
friends of the Tanzanians through many different forums and organisations are called upon to
join hands in fighting this Monster. This time we ought to aim not at giving to the Monster a
dose which will cause it to sleep, but a poison to let it die. God bless you, God bless Tanzania,
and God bless the friends of Tanzania.
Ipyana A. Mwamugobole mwamugobole@yahoo.com
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