Maravi

Corruption and our low moral standards

Corruption and our low moral standards
By The Post
Tue 02 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT

There is no honest person who can support the removal of the abuse of office offence from our statute books. And this is why all our people, except Rupiah Banda and his minions, have opposed the amendment of the Anti Corruption Act to remove the abuse of office offence. The removal of the abuse of office offence from the Anti Corruption Commission Act is being opposed and criticised by all our key church leaders because it is the cornerstone of morality in public life.

And the issue of morality in public life has become a subject of constant discussion in our media and social life. This is because of the pervasive presence of corruption in every aspect of our life which is holding back our progress as a nation. Corruption is anti-national, anti-economic development and anti-poor.

And there is need to ask ourselves why corruption is today flourishing in our country. It is not difficult for one to realise that corruption flourishes in our country today because our moral standards are low. We are failing to uphold morality in public life. And this explains why Rupiah and his minions today have the courage to go to Parliament and change the law that helps us, in some way, to uphold some morality in public life.

Morality in public life ultimately is the result of the individual’s sense of values. This is what we derive from our parents, religion and our teachers. We therefore find that there are many honest people in institutions, ministries or departments which are notoriously corrupt. Many a time, while the senior official may be corrupt, the junior is honest. This is the result of the individual’s sense of values.

The prevailing social values also have a lot to do with the upholding of morality in public life. Apparently, there is greater tolerance of corruption today because there is a feeling that corruption has become a way of life.

Alex De Toquville, the French thinker of the 19th century, said that if the inevitable may be perceived to be no more inevitable, then it became intolerable. Today in our country, corruption is perceived as inevitable in every walk of life and therefore it is tolerated. But if the Zambian people could be educated about the truth that there could be greater morality in public life, then the same corruption which has been tolerated may become intolerable and this could lead to a better Zambia.

There are many things a patriotic citizen can do to fight corruption. The basic requirement for any citizen who wants to fight corruption is that he should himself be honest. It is therefore necessary that a citizen who wants to fight corruption must first decide that he will uphold his own moral character and will not either give a bribe or take a bribe. Ultimately, it is the national character that decides the nation’s progress. National character is a keystone of national affairs. We say this because national character locks the bricks together like the keystone in the arch. If the keystone is not there, the arch goes to pieces and tumbles down. It is the improvement of individual character that goes to make the uplift of national character which in time becomes the keystone in the arch of national prosperity.

Corruption can be fought by the citizen as an individual or in groups in the form of an NGO. Just as an individual has to maintain his own integrity before he takes on the challenge of fighting corruption, NGOs which are formed to fight corruption have to first ensure that they themselves are clean and do not indulge in corrupt practices. It has been noticed that there are many NGOs which are indulging in corrupt practices, that are in collusion with corrupt elements in government. If such NGOs also take up the issue of fighting corruption, they are not likely to be successful.

There is need to spread awareness about the harmful effects of corruption. There is extensive corruption in our country today because there is a vicious cycle starting with political corruption leading to bureaucratic corruption, business corruption and criminalisation of politics. Even though citizens may be suffering from corruption, the results of elections where corrupt candidates are elected again and again raises the question whether the removal of corruption or improving probity in public life is considered relevant by the people at large.

Corruption flourishes in our country because there are people in power who benefit from the present corrupt system. Unfortunately, those people who benefit from the power are also those who have to initiate the change to check corruption. Under these circumstances, citizens and their organisations can get the change initiated only by adopting certain elements of strategy. There is need for activism in the fight against corruption in all our institutions, including the judiciary. We all know that judicial activism has been responsible for bringing about some of the well needed changes in our country.

As we have stated before, in a democracy, the political leaders have to respect public opinion. Shaping of public opinion is therefore very essential. And in shaping public opinion, the media can be effectively used. For the media to be used, what is needed is access to information. Therefore, freedom of information or access to information becomes important.

Fighting corruption is the national duty of every patriotic Zambian. If a few corrupt elements are ruining the country, the majority who are the victims and yet silent witnesses to the pervasive corruption scene are failing in their duty as citizens. Every citizen should do his part in the fight against corruption in our country and make Zambia realise its full potential as a nation. If we want Zambia to become a prosperous country in which every citizen will be able to enjoy his rights and a better quality of life, fighting corruption is the most important need. It is the responsibility of every Zambian citizen to respond to this need and see what can be done at the individual and group level to fight corruption. Let us come together, let us enjoy together, let our strengths come together, let there be the brightness of knowledge, let there be no poison of misunderstanding or hatred. That is the way we can fight corruption and ensure a bright future for Zambia.

It is hoped that with greater public concern on the issue of morality in public life on the issue of abuse of public office, there will be greater awareness about corruption and the need for morality in public life. Once this awareness spreads, the lack of public morality which is considered inevitable today and therefore tolerated, will become intolerable and Zambia can become an example of a vigorous democracy which is also economically prosperous with a clean public life. Corruption poses a serious challenge to our democracy and a decent public life. We therefore have no alternative but to fight corruption if we have to harbour any hope of living in a prosperous and peaceful country. This is why everything possible should be done to make it difficult for Rupiah and his minions to implement their decision of changing the Anti Corruption law by removing the offence of abuse of public office on which morality in public life depends.

Labels: ACC, CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 3:53 PM