- About six in 10 Basotho (61%) say corruption in the country increased “somewhat” or “a lot” during the year preceding the survey, while two in 10 (21%) say it decreased (Figure 1).
- A majority (59%) of citizens see “most” or “all” police as corrupt, the worst rating among key institutions the survey asked about. About half (49%) of respondents say the same about civil servants and parliamentarians (Figure 2).
- Compared to 2022, perceptions of widespread corruption declined dramatically for the Office of the Prime Minister (by 26 percentage points, to 30% who say “most” or “all” are corrupt) and for judges and magistrates (by 24 points, to 28%) (Figure 3).
- Compared to 2022, perceptions of widespread corruption declined dramatically for the Office of the Prime Minister (by 26 percentage points, to 30% who say “most” or “all” are corrupt) and for judges and magistrates (by 24 points, to 28%) (Figure 3). o Perceived corruption also improved for parliamentarians (by 9 percentage points) but worsened for the police (by 7 points).
- Among Basotho who sought key public services during the previous year: o One-fifth say they had to pay a bribe to get a government identity document (22%) and to avoid problems with the police (21%). o One in eight (12%) say they had to pay a bribe to get police assistance, while 4% paid a bribe to obtain medical care (Figure 4). o Compared to 2017, the proportion who had to pay a bribe increased for those seeking a government identity document (from 6% to 22%), trying to avoid a problem with the police (from 16% to 21%), and requesting police assistance (from 7% to 12%) (Figure 5).
A majority of Basotho say corruption has increased in their country over the past year, a new Afrobarometer study indicates.
Among key institutions the survey asked about, the police are most widely seen as corrupt, followed by civil servants and parliamentarians. But perceptions of widespread corruption in the Office of the Prime Minister and among judges and magistrates decreased sharply compared to 2022.
Among respondents who had contact with the police, one-fifth say they had to pay a bribe to avoid problems with law enforcement during these encounters.
Overall, the share of citizens who paid bribes to obtain a government identity document, avoid problems with the police, and get police assistance has increased since 2017.
Contact
Language
Keywords
Countries
Regions