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Friday, October 29, 1999 Published at 17:42 GMT 18:42 UK

World: Africa

African Media Watch

In Media Watch this week:

Soul-searching follows a damning report on corruption
Nigerians ponder the consequences of Islamic law

South Africa asks whether chemical castration could curb its rape epidemic

Countries shamed by corruption report

The 1999 edition of an annual index issued by the organisation Transparency International (TI) has highlighted the fact that several African countries still rank among the most corrupt in the world.

Many countries adopted a "mea culpa" attitude to their poor showing in the index, and the general response was that a "must do better" approach would be appropriate.

Ugandan radio quoted a senior government official as saying that Uganda was "among the most highly corrupt countries in the world and must institute harsh penalties against corrupt practices."

The government's deputy inspector-general, David Somgen, declared that "corruption breeds political discontent and must be fought seriously."

[ image: Get those fingers out of the till]
Get those fingers out of the till
Kenya's Daily Nation dwelt on the problem of bribe-taking in public life. An article headlined "Kenya is 10th on the list of shame" lamented the fact that in Kenya the situation had become worse rather than better. Last year Kenya was named as 12th most corrupt country.

Another Daily Nation article complained that the problem was not restricted to the world of commerce. "Corruption has even permeated the judiciary. The suspension of five magistrates and the sacking of four others for corruption was widely acclaimed but was seen to be too little, too late."

Zambia was listed in the TI index as the most corrupt country in southern Africa, and Zambia's The Post newspaper quoted TI's Zambian representative Steven Moyo as saying that this showed his fellow countrymen were "accepting corruption as a way of life."

Moyo's South African counterpart, Vusi Mavuso, was quoted by Sapa news agency as saying that although South Africa had not figured as badly as some other African countries in the index, the fact that it appeared at all meant that there was a perception of corruption and no room for complacency.

He said South Africa should regard its ranking - 34th out of the 99 countries surveyed - as a "wake up call."

In contrast, Cameroon, which topped the list of most corrupt countries, protested against the "injustice" of the label. The Cameroon Tribune quoted Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge as saying Cameroon was one of the few countries in Africa to have launched an anti-corruption campaign and that strenuous action had been taken against corruption.

The Rome Missionary Service News Agency said that Cameroon President Paul Biya was pressing ahead with his anti-corruption campaign "without taking into consideration ties with family, friends, or those in power."

Nigeria in ferment over Islamic law

The introduction of Sharia - Islamic law - in the northern Nigerian state of Zamfara has triggered a frenzied debate in the national press.

The Guardian newspaper commented that the move had "ominous" implications for the country as a whole. It wrote that opposition to the legislation had been "sweeping and universal" and "the crossfire over the matter has served to further underscore how sensitive religious matters could be in the country."

It quoted one legal authority as saying the adoption of the law was "unconstitutional, barbaric and a negation of the agreements of the nationalists who negotiated Nigeria's independence as a united entity."

Christian leaders in Nigeria are especially concerned that the new law might upset the country's delicate religious balance. The Guardian quoted the Catholic Bishop of Lagos, Olubunmi Okojie, as saying Nigeria was a secular state and "the secularity must therefore be upheld by all contending sections. To do otherwise would threaten the corporate existence of the country."

The South African news agency Sapa reported that one effect of the introduction of Sharia in Zamfara was that men and women would henceforth be banned from travelling together in buses or taxis.

It quoted state governor Sani Ahmed Yarima as saying the authorities would introduce "separate buses and taxis for females to minimise the unnecessary intermingling of the opposite sexes."

South Africa agonises over rape

[ image: Jacob Zuma: Controversial proposals for dealing with rapists]
Jacob Zuma: Controversial proposals for dealing with rapists
Doubts have been raised in South Africa about the efficacy of introducing chemical castration to stop persistent rapists reoffending - an idea mooted by Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

The Star newspaper felt it could not wholeheartedly endorse the proposal, pointing out that "chemical castration for rapists is a controversial solution which is by no means universally accepted."

Chemical castration had not been proved to be totally effective, and there was a high rate of recidivism among offenders treated in that way, the paper said.

The Star said there were complex issues involved. "Detractors say chemical castration is problematic because rape has more to do with power than sex, that castration is as much a deterrent to rape as the death penalty is to murder, and that there are moral issues surrounding tampering with the body's natural processes."

Next Media Watch update is on 5 November

Internet Links

The Guardian, Nigeria

The Daily Nation, Kenya

The Star, South Africa

The Post, Zambia

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

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