Inkohlakalo kuhulumeni iye yachazwa ngokuthi ukusebenzisa kabi isikhundla ukuze umuntu azizuzise yena. Ukusebenzisa kabi isikhundla ngaleyo ndlela akuqali manje. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli linomthetho owenqabela ukufumbathisa emacaleni okwahlulela, okubonisa ukuthi lo mkhuba wawusukhona kakade eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-3 500 edlule. (Eksodusi 23:8) Kuyiqiniso ukuthi inkohlakalo ihilela okungaphezu nje kokwamukela isifumbathiso. Ngezinye izikhathi, iziphathimandla ezikhohlakele zeba izinto, zihlomule ngokungafanele ezintweni zikahulumeni noma zize zebe imali isidanasi. Zingase zisebenzise izikhundla zazo ukuze zenzele abangane nezihlobo izinto ezithile ngokungafanele.

Nakuba inkohlakalo ingase ibe khona kunoma iyiphi inhlangano yabantu, kubonakala sengathi yande kakhulu kohulumeni. I-Global Corruption Barometer ka-2013 enyatheliswe i-Transparency International, yabika ukuthi abantu emhlabeni wonke bacabanga ukuthi izinhlangano ezinhlanu ezinenkohlakalo ukuzedlula zonke, amaqembu ezombusazwe, amaphoyisa, iziphathimandla, isishayamthetho nabahluleli. Cabanga nje ngeminye imibiko eqokomisa le nkinga.

• E-AFRIKA: Ngo-2013, iziphathimandla ezingaba ngu-22 000 eNingizimu Afrika zabekwa amacala okuziphatha ngendlela engafanele ngenxa yokwenza izenzo zenkohlakalo.

• ENINGIZIMU MELIKA: Ngo-2012, eBrazil, abantu abangu-25 baboshelwa ukusebenzisa imali yomphakathi ukuze bakhankasele ukuvotelwa. Phakathi kwalabo ababoshwa kwakukhona owayeke waphatha zonke izisebenzi zikamongameli, engumuntu wesibili ngobukhulu kulelo zwe.

• E-ASIA: ESeoul, eNingizimu yeKorea, kwafa abantu abangu-502 ngesikhathi kuwa isakhiwo esinezitolo ngo-1995. Abahloli bathola ukuthi izikhulu zedolobha zafumbathiswa ukuze zivumele abakhi ukuba basebenzise usimende osezingeni eliphansi futhi baphule imithetho yezokuphepha.

• EYUROPHU: UCecilia Malmström onguKhomishane WaseYurophu Wezindaba Zangaphakathi uthi: “Le nkinga [yenkohlakalo] inkulu ngendlela eyisimanga.” Wenezela ngokuthi “kubonakala sengathi abezombusazwe abazimisele ukuyiqeda inkohlakalo.”

Inkohlakalo kuhulumeni ijulile. UProfesa Susan Rose-Ackerman, isazi endabeni yokulwa nenkohlakalo, wabhala ukuthi ukuze kube khona ushintsho kudingeka kwenziwe “izinguquko eziyisisekelo endleleni uhulumeni owenza ngayo izinto.” Nakuba isimo singase sibonakale singathembisi, iBhayibheli lisiqinisekisa ngokuthi kuzokwenzeka izinguquko ezinkulu.