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What Corruption ? Whose Corruption ?

Managing change

Sometimes the circumstances are different. Sometimes the son will have been
threatened that harm would fall upon the parents if he did not go along with the plan. And

filial duty would 'demand' that the son could never let this happen.

In such circumstances, fear of imprisonment is never a deterrent.
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m'zuŋ u institutions and m'zuŋ u aid donor countries place a lot of emphasis on
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corruption in African countries. They frequently assert their right to use their (m'zuŋ u)
perception of 'corruption' as entitling them to restrict allocations of development aid.
They do this with the most shallow understanding of what is corruption and what is
not. They do this when reasonable logic paths can illustrate just how the circumstances of
any underdeveloped country almost make corruption unavoidable and that corruption can

only be managed downwards through development of the local economy.
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And of course m'zuŋ u are all too quick to forget the Illicit Finance Flows (IFF) that
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m'zuŋ u corporations and their professional advisers are complicit in.
Perceived levels of corruption are not necessarily an African phenomenon. It can
definitely be exacerbated by particular regimes inside Africa. But it’s not about Africa. It’s

about underdevelopment. It’s about poverty levels inside a country.

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I was asked to visit an African country where maize is a staple of the local diet. Statistics

state that 95% of that country's population eat roughly 2kg of maize every week or so.

My task was to see if a regional maize milling business could be rescued. It couldn't.
But I learnt a lot from the exercise.

The business had been bought by 3 African university educated professionals. One
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worked in a far away m'zuŋ u country but had a long pedigree in high level public
administration. His two business partners were both accountants. One of a senior level in

the country's Tax Revenue Service. The other a significant figure in the country's financial
centre.

These people with absolutely no relevant experience had been allowed to borrow the

money for the initial business purchase from their country's 'State Pension Fund'. They had
secured a 100% loan. Something a 'pension fund' should never allow. Something that could

only be regarded as 'illegal;. The partners had then been allowed to borrow more money.
Before they had ever completed a year’s business, let alone show they could make a profit.