“Gen Z Mada” and the role of corruption
From 2018 to 2022, I have facilitated anti-corruption workshops in Madagascar and trained officers from the National Anti-Corruption Agency BIANCO in corruption prevention methods. The fact that the protest movement just led to an overthrown government, comes not as a surprise to me. Because corruption in Madagascar had gotten way out of control and can be considered the top cause for the protests. In this blog post, I explain why.
“We could bribe Members of Parliament to vote for a better anti-corruption law.”
It were words which shook me from the inside: In 2018, during an official workshop with representatives from various ministries, one of the participants suggested to bribe Members of Parliament to vote for a more effective anti-corruption law. Being the facilitator of the workshop, I was stunned for a few seconds and was wondering if I really heard what I just heard. I then challenged the idea as being counter-productive, only to find out that quite a few other workshop participants openly considered bribing MPs an effective, legitimate measure.
This was even more disturbing as the workshop aimed at identifying corruption risks in various sectors and finding ways to reduce these risks. At one point, the Minister of the Interior himself, Tianarivelo Razafimahefa, was visiting us with his aides, receiving a 30-minute-briefing about the progress made.
This scene is emblematic of the situation in Madagascar: Corruption is not hidden, it is not the exception. It is out in the plain, for everyone to witness. Without any consequences. It is the go-to option for any problem or obstacle and omnipresent in the entire society.
I have worked in more than 30 countries around the globe, and witnessed or discussed corruption cases in almost all of them. Yet, Madagascar still feels different. It only took a few minutes after my arrival to see passengers handing over speed money to airport officials to skip the queues. Driving to my hotel the night of my arrival, I saw young women lining up as sex workers (a work that I respect, but which saddens me when it’s dictated by poverty) on the streets and in bars. During the days, I saw the desperation in the eyes of the street vendors. Later, in 2021, I learned about the devastating famine that took place in the South of the country - the worst in 40 years. Many families were resorting to desperate survival measures, not having anything to eat in weeks. I have seen a lot of poverty in my life, but somehow, the situation in Madagascar marked me. The entire country seemed to be in the iron grip of corruption and extreme poverty.
CPI: Out of 180 countries, Madagascar slid down from place 82 in 2004 to 152 in 2019.
Despite the fact that corruption has been a problem in Madagascar for a long time (I would argue that a large part of it is directly linked to the (post-)colonial system the country was / is exposed to - but that would be a topic for a different blog post) many Malagasy I spoke to at the time, indicated that the country had taken a massive hit in terms of corruption in recent years.
And it showed in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index - the most recognised corruption benchmark in the world: Out of 180 countries, Madagascar slid down from place 82 in 2004 to 152 in 2019. A steep decline. And this decline had devastating consequences for the everyday lives of the Malagasy, ultimately leading to what we are witnessing now.
I would argue that corruption is the top cause for what we see unfolding in Madagascar. Let me explain why.
The protests initially started because of frequent electricity and water cuts. We have to understand that whenever corruption in public infrastructure or services occurs, it has one of these two effects:
1) Let’s assume 30% of the budget for the power grid is lost to bribes - which is a very realistic assumption, based on my experiences. This means that the grid has to be built / maintained with 30% less of what is actually needed. As a consequence, there will be shortcomings and malfunctions. It’s only a matter of time until the first power cuts are necessary.
2) The grid budget is 30% higher (because of the anticipated corruption) than actually necessary. This means the grid remains functional, but a huge amount of public money just vanished into the pockets of a few individuals and cannot be used for other infrastructures or services. Maybe the water grid receives insufficient funding as a consequence or other essential services cannot be rendered, e.g. in the health system.
All in all, corruption decreases the quality of infrastructure and causes major malfunctions - or it makes them way more expensive then they would have to be. When it comes to public services (health, education, etc.) the effects are even more severe: Either services are not available at all or are very scarce (because the money is gone for bribes in other sectors) or they are of a very bad quality (for the same reason). People will have to pay bribes in order to have access to adequate treatment. If they cannot afford these bribes, they will have to live with the illness - or, in the worst case, die. A 10 USD “fee” to a doctor can become an insurmountable obstacle for someone who only makes 2 USD a day.
My first visit to Antananarivo in 2018 was a bittersweet experience. I felt a mix of joy and sadness. Joy, because I got to work on the topic I am proud to work on: Corruption prevention. Sadness, because the scale of corruption and extreme poverty seemed overwhelming.
Rampant corruption combined with extreme poverty is the fast track to revolution.
So, corruption does decrease the quality of services, or makes them inaccessible. In any way, it drastically - and artificially - increases prices for everything. Which leads me to the last point:
Another main reason for the protest was the cost-of-living crisis. Corruption is a heavy financial burden for society, especially for people with a very low income. In Madagascar, 80% of the people live in poverty, which means they have less than 2.15 USD per day at their disposal (2024, Worldbank). Just imagine how corruption drives up the costs, even for the most basic needs: food, for example, is more expensive because of bribes for policemen on the transport routes from the countryside during “traffic controls” or extra “fees” to obtain a market stand and sell the goods. And while 80% of the people are struggling for their daily survival, a small, wealthy group of people continues to live a life in luxury. Imagine the frustration and despair among ordinary people.
So, yes. I would argue that corruption is the single most important cause for what is happening in Madagascar. Corruption creates unbearable situations, leads to the suffering and even deaths of people and erodes entire societies. And the worst thing: It reinforces itself. Once it gets a real grip on the system, it’s a steep, downward spiral.
In short: Rampant corruption combined with extreme poverty is the fast track to revolution. This is why, I am not surprised about what is happening in Madagascar. I am rather surprised, that it took so long.