African Union member states lose $50 billion every year due to corruption

The African Union Advisory Board against Corruption has disclosed that African countries are losing $50 billion annually due to corruption.

The board’s Executive Secretary Charity Nchimunya said this during a virtual press conference marking the commemoration of African Anti-Corruption Day on Thursday.

“This fight cannot be won without courageous individuals who are willing to come forward and give out information about people involved in corrupt practices. It is time for member states to consider developing and implementing deliberate laws on whistle-blower protection,” Nchimunya said.

Regional Project Officer for Platform to Protect Whistle blowers in Africa Southern Africa Gemma-Maé Hartley asked member states to consider the implementation of an anonymous reporting system.

The conference focused on the theme ‘Effective Whistle-blower Protection Mechanism: A Critical Tool in the Fight Against Corruption’.

ACB acting Director General Hillary Chilomba said Malawi is currently at an advanced stage of coming up with special legislation to protect whistle-blowers.

“I believe that the law will help deter public officers from betraying informants by leaking their information, thereby encouraging more people to report corrupt practices to the graft-busting body,” Chilomba said during the commemoration of the day at Nkhoma, Lilongwe on Thursday.

Chilomba warned public officers who work in the anti-corruption agencies against leaking information provided by whistle-blowers relating to corrupt practices, saying it is against the law.

Gift Trapence, chairperson for the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) whose member organizations supported the activities there, stressed the need for strengthened awareness-raising on corruption reporting.

Executive Director for the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (Csat), Willy Kambwandira, said corruption will continue to thrive in the country until justice punishes wrongdoing and keep the government in check.

Csat analysis on audit reports for the years 2012 to 2021 shows that the country lost about K6 trillion to corruption, according to Kambwandira.