Anti-corruption backlash in southern Africa

It's no secret that corruption has become severely entrenched in many African countries. Not surprisingly, efforts to root out corruption are not always well-received by those who benefit from the crooked system. Back in the day, military dictators like Nigeria's Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Burkina Faso's Thomas Sankara could simply use their powers to decree a crackdown on corruption. Quite often, it worked. Autocrats may not be very nice but they can be quite efficient. But human rights groups tend not to appreciate the means by which such 'efficiencies' are implemented.

Today, things are different. It's a bit easier to obstruct the anti-corruption fight when the president is democratically-elected and is expected to more or less respect the constitution and the rule of law. In such a climate, not only can heads of state be blocked in their anti-corruption campaigns, but they can even be punished.

That's what happening in southern Africa.

Malawi's president Bingu wa Mutharika is facing impeachment by the country's parliament. Pres. Mutharika was elected as a member of the UDF party, which also has a parliamentary majority. But he and the party quickly fell out when his anti-corruption campaign targeted his predecessor, Bakili Muluzi. Mutharika was Muluzi's hand-picked successor so ruling party members surely thought they were safe. Mutharika has since quit the UDF to form his own party. But without much support in parliament, it remains to be seen how his efforts against impeachment will fare.

Levy Mwananawasa, in neighboring Zambia, is in a very similiar situation. Pres. Mwananawasa was elected as a member of the MMD party, which also has a parliamentary majority. But he and the party quickly fell out when his anti-corruption campaign targeted his predecessor, Frederik Chiluba. Mwananawasa was Chiluba's hand-picked successor so ruling party members surely thought they were safe. (I didn't just copy and paste the previous paragraph; it really happened that way). Now, Pres. Mwananawasa is fighting for his party to endorse him for re-election in 2006. Police intervened to break up intra-party fights between Mwanawasa loyalists and supporters of his main opponent, who he sacked as vice-president two years ago.

At least Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has no such worries. He surely intends to die in office to preclude the possibility of facing the same justice Chiluba and Muluzi are confronted with.