Civil society calls for action against corruption

As the Angolan government gears up for the 2006 elections, civil society has called for more transparency, with action to counter mismanagement and corruption. The Coalition of Reconciliation, Transparency and Citizenship (RTC) launched its "Free Angola of Corruption" campaign this week, publishing startling research about bribery at the grassroots level in Angolan society. RTC, established in 2002, counts trade unions, NGOs and other civil society coalitions among its members. "Transparency is very important because this country, after being destroyed by war, is now being destroyed by corruption," Landu Kama, RTC's coordinator, told IRIN after the launch of the campaign. Angola is rich in natural resources - particularly oil and diamonds - but many of its 13 million people continue to live in poverty, with poor access to even the most basic services. A Human Rights Watch report alleged that almost a billion dollars was disappearing from government coffers each year, but an RTC survey of 750 people in both urban and rural areas across five provinces showed that mismanagement was not confined to the higher echelons of power. The practice of giving "gasosas" - literally 'fizzy drinks' but, in fact, a small bribe - underpins many Angolan deals, but the RTC survey was one of the first to chronicle the custom. For example, it showed that seven out of 10 parents of school-age children had given a back-hander to register their children in class, while more than half the people interviewed had bribed health officials for medical treatment. "Corruption is something systematic in our country - the study proved this," Kama commented. "The survey showed that most people - 65 percent - said this was a big problem, and something which must be combated urgently." In its opening declaration the campaign called on the authorities to reflect on the unequal distribution of resources, the high number of children not in the school system, the poor medical care and other issues. "We, representatives of civil society ... invite all the institutions in the country, and individuals with political will, to banish all forms of corruption and subscribe to this commitment to contribute to our national development," RTC urged in a statement. Kama said the focus of the campaign was to monitor the government's activities, to ensure that it lived up to the social promises made in its 2004 budget. The campaign would initially target five provinces - Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, Huila and Cabinda - but would extend to other regions if there were sufficient funds. "We will also approach the government to ask them to prepare a national plan to combat corruption," Kama added. He said the run-up to national polls - the first in peacetime since 1992 - was an ideal time to pressure the government. "The election is an important tool for us to push the government towards greater transparency. The government needs the support of the people if it wants to continue in power ... and social conflict can rise up if the government does not understand it has to change," he noted. The donor and diplomatic community welcomed the initiative, saying the people of Angola had waited long enough for a peace dividend. "They [Angolans] cannot understand why they still do not have schools, roads, markets, and why the government is not providing assistance. Add on top of that the large revenues from oil and diamonds - and still no results - then the Angolan people have a genuine issue for the government to address," said one western donor source. "This issue is very urgent; transparency should be an issue at the heart of every debate during the election campaign," the source said. "Ideally, we would like to see members of the Angolan government not only reducing corruption and increasing transparency, but also instituting more mechanisms for accountability."