Botswana’s score on the global corruption rankings continues to fall as the Southern African nation dropped one place further.
Botswana’s ranking on the Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Index (CP) has fallen to 59 out of 180 countries as the country’s ranking continues to slide down.
Botswana ranked 39 out of 180 countries surveyed.
Botswana’s score in 2020 was 60 and ranked 35 out of 180 countries. The Index for 2021 appeared to have been the worst performance as it placed Botswana at 45 out of 180 countries with a score of 55 across the various indicators.
The 2022 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index then gave Botswana a score of 60 on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt to) 100 (very clean) and ranked 35 out of 180 countries; effectively improving five places from the 2021 score only to slide one place in the 2023 Index.
The latest report shows that Seychelles scored 71 points and remains the top scorer in the region followed by Carbo Verde (64) and Botswana (59). Equatorial Guinea (17), South Sudan (13) and Somalia (11) perform the lowest with signs of improvement.
Commenting on the report, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) said “as usual, Botswana is ranked among the top achievers in the world.”
Citing the Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Index, the DCEC indicated that 90 percent of countries in Africa scored less than 50, while globally, over two-thirds of the 180 reviewed countries scored below 50 and averaged 43.
“Internationally, Botswana is ranked position 39 with a score of 59, while in Africa, Botswana ranked position three (3) after Cape Verde (64) and Seychelles (71). For the year 2022, Botswana was ranked second (2nd) in Africa, with a score of 60 (tied with Cape Verde) while Seychelles was still the lead country with a score of 70,” the DCEC said in a statement.
According to the DCEC, “It is worth noting that Botswana was assessed using seven (7) indices as compared to its top competitors, Cape Verde and Seychelles who were measured in only three (3) indices.”
The DCEC indicated that “Botswana scored over fifty (50) in six (6) indices, and regrettably scored 41 out of a 100 on the Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness Year Book (which measures among others, efficiency of institutions, infrastructure and policies that encourage sustainable value creation by enterprises).”
The corruption-busting agency stated that “This resulted in Botswana’s one (1) point decline (59) on the average score as compared to the year 2022 ratings (60).”
The DCEC indicated that although Botswana is faring well in the anti-corruption and governance space, there is still room for improvement.
“Combating corruption requires concerted efforts from all, hence we urge all Batswana to actively join the fight against corruption in order to improve the rankings and fight the scourge,” the DCEC said and encouraged “the general public to resist, reject and report issues relating to corruption.”
While it did not explain what could have led to Botswana’s score falling, Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Index (CP) indicated that the Sub-Saharan region’s persistent challenges stem from decades of severe underfunding in public sectors, exacerbated by corruption and illicit financial flows siphoning resources away from basic public services.
“Despite a regional survey (Afrobarometer) raining corruption among the most important problems that Africans want their governments to address, the 2023 CPI shows that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have a long way to go in their fight against corruption,” the report says.
The report further notes that addressing social and economic issues remains ineffective, often at the expense of the most vulnerable population.
“Corruption in justice delivery mechanisms disproportionately affects the poorest citizens and those who depend on public services, as such as people living with disabilities or women and children, hindering the realization of global and regional development goals,” the report says.
