By Elaine Porteous
Corruption is not unique to Africa, nor is it a new problem. However, Africa is perceived as the most corrupt region in the world as well as the most under-developed. Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability. There is no simple solution. There have been numerous academic studies and notable interventions by such institutions as the World Bank, the United Nations and the Norwegian Government, but progress remains agonisingly slow.
Economic development in Africa has been limited by the low level of foreign cash flow from businesses and the donor community. Investors are nervous and risk-averse; they have other, more attractive, options. Developed countries that support African countries through charitable donations and infrastructure projects are selective about what and where to fund. All of this contributes to slow growth, weak governance and continuing poverty.
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Join us at Smart Procurement World to hear Jacques Pauw, author of the President’s Keepers, discuss the role procurement may have played in organised crime, gangsters and powerful political figures capturing law enforcement authorities and agencies. Has procurement been an innocent bystander or active accomplice?
State Capture – Don’t Blame the Mouse, Blame the Hole in the Wall! >>
