“Members of Parliament (MPs) and local government councillors are elected to represent their constituents. In a functioning democracy, these office-holders are expected to represent the public interest and to be accountable to those who elected them. Overall public trust is low, perceived corruption and official impunity are on the rise, and most people say MPs and local councillors aren’t interested in listening to their views. More fundamentally, a majority of Africans believe that political leaders are more concerned with advancing their own ambitions than with serving the people. Job performance ratings reflect these concerns: Almost half of all citizens disapprove of how their MPs and councillors are doing their jobs, and disapproval is even higher among those who see their elected officials as motivated by personal ambition, involved in corruption, or unwilling to listen to their constituents.”
