Remove politicians from public tenders

Concerned about corruption, Batswana overwhelmingly say that politicians and senior civil servants should be barred from participating in public tenders, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey.

Recent scandals have linked senior politicians and civil servants to corruption in government procurement processes, leading some projects to be halted.

Survey findings also show that while half of Batswana say the level of corruption in the country has increased over the past 12 months, most believe that people risk negative consequences if they report corruption to the authorities.

Key findings

•       An overwhelming majority (80%) of Batswana say that politicians and senior public servants should be barred from participating in public tenders in order to reduce corruption in government procurement (Figure 1).

•       Half (50%) of Batswana think that the level of corruption in the country has increased over the past 12 months (Figure 2).

•       Seven in 10 citizens (70%) say that people risk retaliation or other negative consequences if they report corruption to the authorities. Fewer than three in 10 (27%) say they can report corruption without fear (Figure 3).

Afrobarometer surveys

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, nonpartisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Seven rounds of surveys were completed in up to 38 countries between 1999 and 2018, and Round 8 surveys are currently underway. Afrobarometer conducts face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice.

The Afrobarometer national partner in Botswana, Star Awards Ltd., interviewed a nationally representative, random, stratified probability sample of 1,200 adult Batswana in July-August 2019. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in Botswana in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2017.

Charts

Figure 1: Politicians and senior public servants should be excluded from public tenders | Botswana | 2019

Respondents were asked: Please tell me whether you disagree or agree with the following statement:  Politicians and senior public servants should be disallowed from participating in public tenders in order to reduce cases of corruption in procurement.

Figure 2: Level of corruption | Botswana | 2019

Respondents were asked: In your opinion, over the past year, has the level of corruption in this country increased, decreased, or stayed the same?

Figure 3: Can people report corruption without fear? | Botswana | 2019

Respondents were asked:  In this country, can ordinary people report incidents of corruption without fear, or do they risk retaliation or other negative consequences if they speak out?