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Human Rights Organizations in SADC Being Funded by Foreign Interests: Study
Some human rights organizations in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are being funded by foreign interests to fight their governments, making societies ungovernable, a study by a leading human rights organization has revealed.
The study, on Anti-Corruption Mechanisms and Strategies in Southern Africa carried out by the Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa, also reveals that the private sector is the source of " grand corruption", The Sunday Mail newspaper reported.
The research, conducted in 12 of the 14 SADC countries, shows that although information on corruption tends to focus on the public sector, corruption is also rampant in non-governmental organizations.
"Concern was raised on the fact that information on corruption tends to largely focus on the public sector, yet there is evidence that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are involved in corrupt practices," the research said.
"It was alleged that some human rights organizations are funded by foreign interests to fight their governments, thus making societies ungovernable," it said.
"Participants (of the study) insisted that corruption is rampant in NGOs and the private sector. The private sector was seen as the primary source of grand corruption, therefore any anti- corruption mechanism needs to target NGOs and the private sector as well, if they are to be effective," the research said.
The study recommends that Southern Africa should come up with its own diagnostic tools to be used to determine prevalence and levels of corruption at national and regional level.
"The commitment to combat corruption should not be limited to the political leadership and bureaucrats, but should also come from ordinary citizens because they are both victims and beneficiaries of some corrupt practices," it said.
"Politicians felt that corruption in the public sector was driven by the private sector, hence the latter was to be targeted in any fight against corruption," it added.
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