Loud thunders but little rain? Analyzing political will to combat corruption in Mozambique

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to test the hypothesis that a majority of developing countries suffer from a lack of genuine political will to combat corruption, and that this is a decisive factor in determining the success or failure of anticorruption reforms. Assuming a lack of political will, this thesis also seeks to understand the factors contributing to this deficit. This is done by utilizing two independent theoretical frameworks that provide indicators used to assess political will and combining two methodological approaches – desk study and interviews with knowledgeable donors. The evidence base is thus from a donor perspective. Mozambique has been chosen as a case study as its anticorruption reform has shown little progress despite relatively large foreign assistance. The results of both approaches confirm that there is a clear lack of political will in Mozambique and that hopes of curbing corruption ultimately rest on a change in attitude of the political leadership of the government. Three main reasons are highlighted by interviewed donors: disregard for personal civil servant values, lack of separation of interests between Frelimo and Government and lastly a weak civil society leading to modest accountability.