51 percent of Batswana believe corruption levels in the country have increased over the last year. In an opinion survey conducted by Transparency International for 2015, 30 percent of Batswana expressed a worry that corruption has increased a lot, while another 21 percent believe that while corruption has increased, it increased only a little, and those who believe that corruption has increased total 51 percent.
Transparency International, which had partnered with Afrobarometer, spoke to 43,143 people in 28 countries across the sub-Saharan African region to understand public experiences and perceptions of corruption, and to put the views of ordinary people at the centre of corruption debates.
Among the 1200 Batswana who were interviewed, 14 percent of them believe that corruption levels have stayed the same, 19 percent of them believe that corruption has decreased a little, against 4 percent of those that think that corruption levels have decreased a lot. A total 24 percent of the interviewees believe that corruption in Botswana during 2015 has decreased.
According to the survey, 20 percent of Batswana believe that the President is corrupt, while 25 percent say members of parliament are corrupt. 35 percent, the highest proportion among those surveyed, believe business executives are corrupt. This proportion is followed by 34 percent who believe police officers are corrupt. Government officials came in at 29 percent followed by local councillors at 22 percent. Traditional leaders, according to the report, are the least corrupt at only 13 percent while judges and magistrates also fare well with only 14 percent of those surveyed believing they are corrupt.
Transparency International notes that overall results present a bleak picture, with many Africans critical about the state of corruption in their countries. “Citizens across the continent clearly differ in how serious they deem the extent of the corruption challenge to be, with those in Botswana, Lesotho, Senegal and Burkina Faso giving more positive responses about the state of corruption in their countries, while those in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia, and Ghana hold deeply negative views,” the report says.
Across Africa the survey showed that it is the poorest people who are hardest hit by corruption as they are almost twice as likely to pay a bribe compared with more affluent Africans. Public sector graft presents an unacceptable burden for people who are already struggling to afford basic necessities like putting food on the table or accessing medical care. Transparency International thinks that tackling corruption and reducing poverty go hand in hand.