August 13th. - And the winner is ... maybe no one.There was no shortage of excitement when Sudanese telecom billionaire Mo Ibrahim announced his Prize for Achievement in African Leadership late last year. Everyone from Nelson Mandela to Bill Clinton praised the idea, suggesting that by recognizing honourable former heads of state, the lucrative lifetime award could discourage current leaders from the rampant corruption that has plagued Africa for so long.
But now that we are passed the halfway point of the year-long selection process, one important thing seems to be missing – suitable candidates. While the Mo Ibrahim Foundation remains tight-lipped about their deliberations, it's clear that finding retired African leaders who served their country with distinction is no easy task. The criteria are rigorous. To win the award, a leader will have had to deliver security, health, education, human rights and economic development, while also entering and leaving office democratically. That eliminates a good portion of former heads of state, whose corruption is well documented, leading to speculation that the award may not be given out at all. If presented in October as scheduled, the prize would be the largest award of its kind in the world. The winner receives $5 million (U.S.) over 10 years and an additional $200,000 every year after that. But Ibrahim, who is putting up the money himself, has said he will not award the prize if no one deserving can be found. So while Nelson Mandela is clearly the frontrunner, it remains to be seen how many other former African leaders are truly qualified enough for an award of achievement.
It's no secret that poor leadership has long been a reality in modern African history. The World Bank estimates that corruption costs the continent $148 billion every year, raising prices by as much as 20 per cent. Ibrahim explains that while most Western leaders can look forward to lucrative corporate directorships and speaking tours once they retire – Bill Clinton has earned upwards of $40 million from his speeches since leaving office – those in Africa have no such opportunities. To make matters worse, many former leaders were autocratic and egotistical, with spending habits as big as their flamboyant personalities. Some would cling to power for decades, often with the support of the old Cold War powers. That's led to a trickle-down culture of corruption where people working in social services are so poorly paid that they begin demanding bribes from citizens just to support themselves.
In Kenya, this became known as kitu kidogo, "something small" in Swahili. The 2001 Kenyan Urban Bribery Index found that bribes made up a third of the average household budget, and that ordinary citizens paid as many as 16 bribes per month to everyone from doctors, teachers and the police. Since then, the heavily corrupt presidency of Daniel arap Moi has come to an end. His successor Mwai Kibaki has vowed to clean the country up. Throughout the continent, a new generation of leaders is slowly taking over, promising transparency and good governance. In places from Rwanda to Liberia, leaders are trying to turn over a new leaf. And perhaps even putting themselves in line for future Mo Ibrahim awards. (Craig and Marc Kielburger)
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