The seven principles of Nguzo Saba

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

The previous chapter introduces the study and this chapter reviews extant literature on moral perversion. The chapter provides an overview of moral perversion which is the springboard on which arguments raised in the following chapters heavily relied on. Moral perversion emerges in a complex intellectual matrix since most of the people think of morality as a problem of sex and morality yet those are just aspects of morality but the issue of morality itself is very elastic. The chapter starts by discussing the status of current researches on moral perversion in the world. The chapter adopts the funnel approach in reviewing literature whereby works of international scholars were reviewed first, followed by works of African scholars and lastly works of Zimbabwean scholars. This helped to contextualize the problem as well as finding knowledge gaps coming from a broader to a narrower perspective. International researches on moral perversion are fewer than researches on moral perversion in Africa. Kaufman (1998:1) says corruption is widespread in developing and transition countries, not because their people are different from those elsewhere, but because conditions are ripe for it. Statistics show that moral perversion is rife in developing countries where there is poor economic growth, weak political institutions and a hybrid capitalistic culture indoctrinated to the people by their former colonial masters through varied and subtle ways of exploitation. The discussion of a variety of literature worldwide facilitates the points of convergence and divergence on moral perversion that helped to understand the interface between neo-colonialism, literature and moral perversion in Zimbabwe and the world at large. To understand the concept of moral perversion in detail, the chapter reviews extant literature on corruption since it is one of the major determinants of moral perversion although cheating, smuggling, stealing, prostitution and telling lies are also other aspects of moral perversion.

Forms of Corruption

There is no consensus amongst scholars on the meaning of corruption since it is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Corruption encompasses a number of issues and Amundsem (1999) characterizes it according to a number of basic characteristics. The chief forms of corruption considered are fraud, embezzlement of funds, bribery, nepotism and extortion. Generally these concepts intersect because they are all linked to mistrust, greed, injustice, selfishness and extremism. Thus corruption is a social, economic and political virus that needs to be tamed in order for societies to achieve development.

Bribery

Research on Corruption – A Policy Oriented Survey conducted by NOPAD (2000) defines bribery is the payment of either money or kind that is taken in a corrupt relationship. This implies that to pay or receive a bribe is understood as the same as this is the essence of corruption. A bribe works as an enzyme as it helps to speed up the time taken for a certain action to take place. In this way corruption helps to speed up the rate of receiving services hence some scholars argue that corruption is a necessary evil in the society. A bribe may be a fixed sum of money or it might be paid in kind and the bribe is usually paid to the state official or someone at an influential position who will later on provide services to the person who had paid the bribe. There are a number of equivalent terms for bribery for instance; kickbacks, gratuities, sweeteners, pay-offs, speed and grease money and all these are notions of corruption that are paid to public official for them to provide favors. Understanding the concept of bribery is essential as it helps to understand the major forms of corruption revealed by novelists in their literary works.

Embezzlement

This refers to theft of resources, properties, funds and capitals by people who are put to oversee the resources and in this case disloyal and selfish employees will be stealing from their employers goods that are supposed to benefit the public for their personal gains. Embezzlement usually includes public officials misappropriating public resources. Michelsen Institute and Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) report (2000) says that embezzlement is not considered as corruption from a strict legal point of view, but is included in the broader definitions. It further avers that in legal terms corruption is a transaction between two individuals; one state agent and one civilian where the state agent goes beyond the limits of the law and regulations in order to secure himself a personal benefit and in the form of a bribe. However, embezzlement is regarded as theft because it does not involve the civilian side directly. Embezzlement is a form of corruption because it involves power abuse that will disadvantage the general populace. In light of the above, it shows that embezzlement is part and parcel of corruption and there is no way it could be exonerated as a form of corruption although the meaning of corruption in legal terms seem to exclude it.

 Fraud

Michelsen Institute and Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) report (2000) says that fraud is an economic crime that involves some kind of trickery, swindle or deceit. It involves the distortion or manipulation of information, facts and expertise by public officials for their personal benefit at the expense of the majority. According to this report, fraud is a broad and popular term which covers more than bribery and embezzlement of funds. It includes illegal trade networks, counterfeit and racketing, forgery, smuggling and other organized economic crime. Bayart et al (1997:11) cited in Atelhe and Timikoru (2014:307) also share the same view that fraud involves some kind of trickery, swindle and deceit, counterfeiting, racketing, smuggling and forgery. In light of the above, it shows that the scholars concur that fraud is an acknowledged problem which negatively affects social, political and economic development in the entire society.

Extortion

This refers to money and other resources extracted by the use of coercion, violence or other threats to use force (NUPI, report, (2000)). Blackmailing and extortion are some of the corrupt forms where money is extracted to people to benefit those who are in positions of power and normally the clients are silenced by violence or other forms of harassment. Organized criminals and mafia can use harassment and intimidation to threaten individuals, citizens, public and private officials so that they will remain in silence when their resources are being taken by force. Corruption of this form can be from people in influential positions or those in lower positions can hire mafia and gangs to use force to take resources from the haves.

 Favouritism

NUPI report (2000) says favouritism is a mechanism of power abuse implying privatization and a highly biased distribution of state resources, no matter how these resources have been accumulated in the first place. On favouritism, those in positions of power use their positions to favour friends, family and anybody close and trusted at the expense of meritocracy or other desired qualifications and criteria of recruiting employees if it is at an organization. Preferential treatment will be given to certain people or a certain group when it comes to the distribution of resources and other services. Nepotism is also a special form of favouritism in which an office holder prefers his family members, relatives, race, religious group, or tribe regardless of merit in selecting people in different positions. While the NUPI report (2000) discusses different forms of corruption, the current study only used the information as a springboard on which to understand different forms of corruption on which different characters in the novels are engaging in. This necessitated a critical interrogation of the writers’ perceptions on moral perversion in different novels. Additionally, while the NUPI report (2000) is an eye opener in understanding different forms of corruption, the study argues that understanding different forms of corruption alone is not enough as it tends to universalize as a social virus that needs attention through external aid as being suggested by a number of scholars. Although, this may help but relying on foreign solutions to local problems is not the answer since the problems that African countries are facing today such as corruption and other forms of social evils have their roots trying to adopt the western style of life. Thus the study argues that the west will not provide answers to Africans but they will tend to add more problems in the name of aid.

The Concept of Morality

The New International Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language Encyclopaedic Edition says the word ‘morality’ is derived from the Greek word: Ethika, (Latin moralia) meaning morals. The etymological root of Ethica is the Greek word ‘ethos’ (Latin mos,) and means mores, conduct, custom or way of doing, acting or behaving. (Onyema, 2011:29). Hare (1996:27) defines morality as a system of principles and judgment based on cultural, religious and philosophical concepts and beliefs by which humans determine whether given actions are right or wrong. In light of the above, an act is considered to be right or wrong depending on the people that are judging it and Agha (2003:35) concurs with the view when he says “an act is right if it conforms to the society by which it is judged”. Onyema (2011) is of the view that most of the people think of morality as a problem of sex and corruption only yet morality encompasses cheating, telling lies, stealing, smuggling and all other actions that are destructive to the good of the society. At the same time, morally good actions also include honest, trustworthy, obedience and these actions are essential and good to the society as they ensure the survival of the society and the good of man. Morality is essential as it ensures progress in the society, self-awareness, responsible self as well as crime control. Bourkel (1967:570) argues that:
Law or a legal system is distinguished from morality or a moral system by having explicit written rules, penalties, and official who interpret the laws and apply the penalties. Although there is often considerable overlap in the conduct governed by morality and that governed by law, laws are often evaluated on moral grounds. Moral criticism is often used to support a change in the law. Some have even maintained that the interpretation of law must make use of morality.
In light of the above, it shows that morality is essential as it acts as a guide to what is considered as right or wrong by the society although at times laws tends to override some religious and traditional morals but it tries to satisfy the needs of the majority. In this study understanding the concept of morality is essential as it helps to see how things have fallen apart in terms of morality as well as understanding the novelists’ portrayal of moral perversion in relation to the historical experiences of a people. Ruhumbika (1992:80) in Matiza (2014) contends that:
A thriving literature is literature that forms a part of a people’s living culture. It is literature written for the people reflecting their endeavours and aspirations and reaching for a significance number of them in a way that can influence their society and be influenced by it in turn.
It follows then that the way artists portray images of influential people should resemble the truth about societies since artists are expected to direct their societies towards the right course of action to take in life. Thus novelists need to be inspirational conductors of the business of rummaging for breakthrough in a world riddled with insurmountable problems such as moral decadence to infuse hope to the hopeless general populace. Therefore if they portray derogatory images on leaders they risk dividing their communities which will strangle development of salubrious literature.
Nel (2008) in Rutoro (2012) is of the view that morals are embedded in a people’s practices, customs and rituals and these are transmitted from one generation to another. Morals are imperative as they link individual actions to the community. Rutoro (ibid) also argues that moral appraisals are made by reference to sets of values and standards prescribed by tradition, custom, practices as well as social and family codes. In the African context, the concept of morality is embedded in the Ubuntu or Unhuism philosophy. This philosophy has fundamental value systems that guide individuals and society for the community to achieve parity, progress and development. Desmond Tutu in Rutoro (2012:63) says a person cannot exist as a human being in isolation. The following standards are used in telling whether a person has ubuntu or not:
Moral standards (with regards to behaviour)
Moral responsibility ( referring to our conscience and) Moral identity (one who’s capable of right and wrong).
In light of the above it shows that that morality is essential to people as it provides with the pillars that guide people in life. In this study the concept of morality is analyzed to get an in-depth understanding of how Africans can liberate themselves from the yoke of Western subjugation as they were and they are still viewed in Eurocentric lenses. Using their culture as the glue that helps to cement people, Africans can counter attack emasculating images portrayed by former masters against them in literature. Such negative connotations cripples Africa’s creative genius to reach greater heights on the development of purposeful art as Africa firmly clutches to these international vultures for answers to their own problems.
Mbiti (1989) argues that people are morally natural because there is a moral order in the universe so that people may live in harmony with one another. This implies that morals have an unchallenged authority since they are linked to the spirituality of the Africans. Thus to be moral is seen as to obey the ancestors and this make morals to be coercive to Africans. Understanding morals as God-given is a noble idea but the problem with most of the Africans today is to associate God with Christianity which is an alien religion to them. Linking God with Christianity is tantamount to perpetuating colonial ideas since Europeans deliberately mis-educate Africans that they only know about God when they colonized them. Such strait-jacketed and myopic sentiments were preached to completely delete the African people’s history, culture, languages and possibilities of transcendence. Asante (2003:59) arguing against linking God with the coming of the whites posits that:
The time for preachers who parade as leaders while taking our people down the sleepy road to the white Jesus who does little for our image or who participates in struggle against us is over. Afrocentricity says “God” can speak to us as directly as he spoke to Nat Tuner.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Preamble
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Aim of the study
1.4 Justification of the study
1.5 Definition of key terms
1.6 Literature review
1.7 Theoretical framework
1.8 Research methodology
1.9 Scope of the study
1.10 Conclusion
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Forms of corruption
2.2 The concept of morality
2.3 Status of current researches on moral perversion in the world
2.4 Status of current researches on moral perversion in Africa
2.5 Status of current researches on moral perversion in Zimbabwe
2.6 The interface between moral perversion and literature
2.7 Conclusion
CHAPTER3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 The Afrocentric perspective
3.2 Kawaida philosophy
3.3 The seven principles of Nguzo Saba
3.4 Research methodology
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Presentation of findings from questionnaires
4.2 The definition of moral perversion
4.3 Analysis of findings from questionnaires
4.4 Analysis of responses from interviews
4.5 Analysis of novels
4.6 Comparison of the authors’ social vision on moral perversion
4.7 Discussion
4.8 Conclusion
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Research findings
5.2 Recommendations
References
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