Judicial corruption rising in Africa, new survey shows

Across the African continent, faith in the justice system is waning as a new survey reveals a worrying trend: a growing perception of corruption within the judiciary.

The survey, conducted by the Accra-based Afrobarometer, found that a majority of Africans say that corruption in their countries is rising, that their government is failing in its efforts to fight it, and that ordinary citizens risk retaliation if they report corruption to the authorities.

The report is based on nationally representative surveys in 39 African countries.

Among key public institutions, the police are most widely perceived as corrupt. In substantial numbers, citizens report having to pay bribes to obtain police assistance or avoid problems with the police, as well as to get government documents and services at health facilities and schools.

Citizens’ assessments vary widely across countries, with Nigeria, Gabon, South Africa, Liberia, and Uganda among the worst-performing countries when it comes to perceived corruption in key public institutions, while Seychelles, Cabo Verde, Tanzania, and Mauritius turn in the best performances.

The percentage of citizens who reported corruption in the judiciary rose from 33% in 2014 to 36% this year, the report says.

The countries with the highest perceived corruption in the judiciary are Cameroon, Gabon, Uganda and Liberia. The lowest are Morocco, Cabo Verde, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania.

“Among ordinary Africans, there is a widespread perception that corruption is worsening. On average across 39 countries, nearly six in 10 citizens (58%) say the level of corruption in their country increased “somewhat” or “a lot” during the previous 12 months,” the report said.

Key findings

• On average across 39 countries, a majority (58%) of Africans say corruption increased “somewhat” or “a lot” in their country during the preceding year.

• • Compared to 2014/2015, 12 countries recorded double-digit increases in perceptions of worsening corruption, including a surge of 39 percentage points in Senegal, while decreases reached a remarkable 61 points in Benin.
  • More than two-thirds (68%) of citizens say “some” or “a lot” of the resources intended to address the COVID-19 pandemic were lost to corruption.
• Almost half (46%) of Africans say that “most” or “all” police officials are corrupt, the worst rating among 11 institutions and leaders the survey asked about. Tax officials, civil servants, and officials in the Presidency tie for second worst, at 38%.
• Among citizens who sought selected public services during the previous year, substantial proportions say they had to pay a bribe to obtain police assistance (36%), to avoid problems with the police (37%), to get a government document (31%), or to receive services at a public medical facility (20%) or a public school (19%).

• • Self-reported bribe-paying varies widely across countries. For example, obtaining a government document required a bribe from 68% of applicants in Congo-Brazzaville, compared to 1% in Cabo Verde and Seychelles.
• Two in three Africans (67%) say their government is doing a poor job of fighting corruption.
• Only one in four Africans (26%) say people can report corruption to the authorities without fear of retaliation.