Prominent South African politician, Julius Malema has said corruption in the country is endangering the democracy of the state.
Addressing Ghanaian youth at an event organised by AriseGhana, a pressure group, the Founder of Economic Freedom Fighters, a south African political party said due to corruption Ghana is unable to offset its international debt to institutions like the IMF.
He stressed that Ghana has been subjected to the dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), thus cannot be a self-efficient nation.
“But the democracy of Ghana is threatened by corruption. A corruption that made sure that Ghana does not pay its international debt as a result, today, Ghana is unable to self-determined because everything else is dictated to Ghana by the IMF and the world because the current leadership failed to honour their obligation.
“We must never ever celebrate anyone who is corrupt or seek to defend the corrupt person irrespective of their political affiliation,” the astute political activist noted on Tuesday, January 23.
Ghana placed 72nd in the global corruption index in 2022, a one margin drop in the preceding year where it placed 73rd.
Also, the UK Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) after its 2023 Ghana Business Environment and Competitiveness Survey Report disclosed that the number of respondents that perceived corruption as a bane to business operations in Ghana were 75% compared with 56% in 2022.
The Akufo-Addo led government has come under severe criticism for the loose efforts to fight corruption in the country.
Notable amongst the criticisms include Martin Amidu’s resignation as the Special Prosecutor after he described the President as “mother serpent” of corruption insisting that the President on many occasions interfered in his job.
Recently, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng also expressed concerns that the country may not win the fight against corruption if his office’s efforts in waging war against the canker fails.
“The OSP must be supported in its work. Should the OSP fail, Ghana would utterly lose the fight against corruption – with its attendant erosion of our democracy,” Mr. Agyebeng stated.