"Corruption in Tanzania" Albanie Marcossy, Dar es salaam, Tanzania

Under the Local Government Reform Programme (LGRP), the local government authorities, including the sub-council level authorities, are undergoing the following reforms: (i) Capacities enhancements to either provide the services directly or facilitate their delivery through other actors and players. (ii) Restructured and re-organized to become more efficient in carrying out their new functions. (iii) Acquiring more legal and administrative powers and freedom, in formulating their plans, budgets, activities and in managing their human and financial resources. (iv) Acquiring powers to mobilize their own resources.

An independent study conducted recently by Marcossy (2007) has concluded that: ―although factual and statistical evidences that corruption is rampant in Tanzania are difficult to obtain, many indications of general trends and particular scandals observed are enough to lead to a conclusion here that corruption is not only rampant in the LGAs in Tanzania but is also in the increase‖. What is the contribution of the relationship between LGA officials and the Businessmen in this increase? This study commissioned by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) was conducted in Morogoro region which is located in the eastern part of Tanzania Mainland. A combination of Intensive Individual Interviews (IIIs) and questionnaire survey; combining both the wide coverage of concerns of the public through questionnaires and intensive interviews of the policy makers concerned elements responsible and knowledgeable on the subject –through IIIs, were employed. This was coupled with a combination of purposive and random sampling methods in line to the earlier used methodology by Kawa (2002).

Whereas analysis of information obtained from the sub-council level shows an increasing trend in customer-service provider types of corruption (the Giver and Taker relationships) on the increase; the council level information shows an out ward development towards more of embezzlement and favoritism. However, it has been further demonstrated here that, corruption occurs within the process by which the LGAs authorities –the councils, the wards committees, the village organs and the vitongojis/mitaa formulate policies, and the process by which they implement them. Local Government officials have shown to be keen in developing and perpetuating relationships with their business partners that not only fuel-up corruption but also make it difficult to trace maladministrations and ill-practices within the system.

This tends to further corruption and make it more systemic than simply a mismanagement practice. Local officials are more committed to their own interests and that of their partners in business, their political parties and/ or central government than that of the local communities and their regional or even area interests under a pretext of ‗the rule of law, Reforms, directives from above, cost sharing, community participation, sectoral policies, etc‘. Although governance and decentralization oriented structures in terms of laws and regulations are in place, the practices at the sub-ward level have not changed significantly and corruption is in the increase in LGAs. Findings from surveys and IIIs, and FGDs conducted in Morogoro Municipal Council, Morogoro and Mvomero district councils have indicated that; the fundamental root cause is the widespread weaknesses of local governments to deal with the problems posed by the challenges to the LGA officials in coping with today‘s fast changing economies and the need for better services to the public.