In December, Transparency International (TI) published its National Integrity System (NIS) country studies, giving a detailed assessment of the situation of corruption at the national level in seven Southern African countries: Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. TI’s NIS studies analyse the key institutions, laws and practices that contribute to integrity, transparency and accountability in a society. The seven studies together with a regional overview study were presented in a launch event in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The regional overview study, coordinated by TI Zimbabwe, identified four underlying trends: legislation is not sufficient, political corruption is on the rise, a corrupt judiciary blocks anti-corruption efforts, and accountability for public resources is low. The report specifically highlights areas of regional concern and particular regional frameworks for cooperation, such as the AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, the Southern Africa Development Community and the African Development Bank, and their relevance to the NIS in the region.

For more information on the different countries and to access the regional survey please click here.