Stoking The Fires of Corruption: An International Perspective

Over the past few months there has been several governments tainted with corruption on the international scene, and these revelations have come about as a result of investigative journalists becoming more daring and their quest to tell the story as it is, and not the usual distorted views. Several huge amounts of monies badly needed to build hospitals, health centers, provide portable and good drinking water etc etc have been siphoned by certain individuals within their respective governments into numerous offshore bank accounts, leaving the innocent and vulnerable citizens in deplorable conditions.

In South Africa, the President is alleged to have used the state’s money to renovate his private residence in his hometown, Nkandla. This has been debated several times in the South African Parliament several times with some MPs calling for him to step down, but surprisingly Jacob Zuma survived a vote of “no confidence” when the matter was put to the vote. He would have been impeached if the vote had gone contrary. South Africa is also facing a problem where the Guptas who are very influential when it comes to appointments by the government and the awarding of contracts. All these are traces of corrupt practices that is giving South Africa a bad image on the international scene.

In Brazil, the President, Dilma Roussef is facing a possible impeachment over allegations that she manipulated the government finances to prop up the government on a sound economic footing. Thus she did not tell her people the true and real nature of Brazil’s economy. Most of her coalition partners have already deserted her and she is now accusing them of being traitors. The outcome of the impeachment proceedings will be out for the whole world to see. She has denied all the allegations leveled against her and the government.

Then here comes the #PanamaPapers or #PanamaLeaks which has revealed the hiding of huge sums of monies by several past and present leaders, politicians and influential businessmen and women in tax havens in several countries managed by the law firm Mossack Fonseca. Cronies and friends of several leaders have also been cited in the leaks. My question is why will they hide their monies in tax havens while the ordinary citizens in their respective countries pay the taxes to develop the countries? Indeed, these revelations have really highlighted the issue of money laundering and the dirty money used by some governments, drug barons and other individuals to propagate their nefarious, frivolous, luxurious and opulent lifestyles. As with several leaks, this one too will go unpunished as several tax havens exist in the Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, Macau etc etc. The fires of corruption has been really stoked for a long time and the international dimension that it has gotten to needs to be addressed otherwise the ordinary citizens will rise up one day and put an end to it.