‘It’s up to business to root out corruption’

Business must take
responsibility for rooting out
corruption and bribery by
not giving in to fraudulent
practices, says political
analyst and commentator
Harald Pakendorf.
“Corruption has many
forms but we must not forget
it needs two entities: the
corrupter and the corruptee.
If you are the one paying
the bribe then you are as
guilty as the one taking the
money.”
Whether it’s
straightforward bribery
where money is put on the
table to fast-track goods
through a border post or to
get an official to look the
other way or more complex
situations of extortion,
the only way to root out
corruption is for private
entities to no longer tolerate
it and participate in it.
“Only when those taking
the bribes are apprehensive
and realise they can go to
jail and there is no gain will
we bring an end to it.”
He said it was necessary
for the environment
in which business was
operating to change. “It
must be unacceptable to
accept a bribe, but also to
pay it.”