By Ntombi Mhlongo
The Parliament of Eswatini is set to adopt and ratify the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.
A document on the convention has been tabled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Senator Thuli Dladla at the House of Assembly.
Worth noting is that in the Kingdom of Eswatini, corruption has been cited as one of the drawbacks to economic development. In December 2022, the Deputy Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Honourable Sibusiso Scorpion Nxumalo, reported that corruption had reached E90 million per month.
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At the time, the national budget was approximately E24 billion which meant that monies lost to corruption represented just below five per cent of the national budget.
By endorsing and adopting the convention, the Kingdom of Eswatini will be committing to join the AU Member States in addressing the need to formulate and pursue, as a matter of priority, a common penal policy aimed at protecting society against corruption, including the adoption of appropriate legislative and adequate preventive measures.
The convention is premised on the fact that the AU Member States are concerned about the negative effects of corruption and impunity on the political, economic, social and cultural stability have on them and its devastating effects on the economic and social development of their people.
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It is also premised that the AU Member States acknowledge that corruption undermines accountability and transparency in the management of public affairs as well as socio-economic development on the continent.
Adopting the convention will also show determination to build partnerships between governments and all segments of society, in particular, women, youth, media and the private sector to fight the scourge of corruption.
“The objective of this convention is to promote and strengthen the development in Africa by each State Party, of mechanisms required to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption and related offences in the public and private sectors,” reads part of the document.
It is also stated that the State Parties to abide by the convention undertake to abide by a variety of principles including transparency and accountability in the management of public affairs, promotion of social justice to ensure balanced socio-economic development and condemnation and rejection of acts of corruption, related offences and impunity.
