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Tanzania: Catholic Official Urges Moral Revival to End Corruption Print E-mail
Written by CISA   
Thursday, 20 September 2007
A moral revival is needed in Tanzania to stem the tide of petty and grand corruption sweeping across the East African nation, a Catholic priest said.

Fr. Vic Missiaen, secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference, said corruption was first of all an ethical issue, and government efforts alone could not combat the vice.

“If there is a lot of corruption, it is because many people like it and practice it. We must start from there, and start a campaign of moral revival. Religious leaders should spearhead this effort.”

But changes are also needed at institutional level, Fr Missiaen said, pointing at the difficult access to public information, secrecy in the civil service, an opaque public tendering system, linking of commercial interests and political leadership, lack of checks and balances and the unbalanced distribution of power among the three arms of government.

Fr Missiaen spoke at the Tanzania Economic Forum held last week. He also called for more transparency in national politics.

“It is high time we looked into the whole question of party financing, electoral financing, how much money the parties receive and who gives it to the parties, how it is used, how state institutions and services are involved.”

The priest said petty corruption had taken root throughout Tanzania, leading to a decrease in the moral appreciation of work and human dignity as people are given the message that craftiness has more reward than honest labour.

“The danger of this ‘culture’ is that it creates a privileged class, leaving behind the majority. But more importantly, it undermines the work ethos, the moral attitude to work.”

He also said Tanzania was in danger of losing the moral vision of a society that respects and promotes the dignity over every human person.

“Questions like the living wage, social provisions in hospitals and quality of educational material, and school fees in private institutions, transport costs, tertiary education contributions, and clean water – these questions require far more attention than they are given in the political process.”
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 19 September 2007 )