Official corruption has been widespread in new African countries in the postcolonial period and has contributed considerably to political instability, public distrust of the government, and economic reverses and failure to attract foreign capital. Corruption causes can be categorized according to the status of corrupt officials, i.e., petty officials and top-level officials. Petty officials are influenced by problems arising from the emergence of new societies and by traditional social structures such as an extended family system encouraging parasitism. Major corruption results from abuse of powers and privileges of high office. Typically, minor corrupt officials are tried and prosecuted, while corrupt officials in high office remain untouchable. Likewise, preventive efforts such as attitude modification through public information campaigns, general education, and improvement of the professionals' circumstances affect petty corrupt officials, but do not curb major vice. Effective control of corruption is only possible through organizations independent of the government and through strict laws to enforce principles of good conduct at high government levels, including controls on foreign bank accounts. Freedom of the press is essential for exposure of corruption. Corruption laws vary widely, as a comparison of laws in the Ivory Coast, Mali, Ghana, and Zaire illustrate. Furthermore, legal approaches to the problem differ between democratic and socialist countries. In general, however, African anti-corruption laws are ineffective because top officials fail to enforce them from lack of authority or from fear of international repercussions. Reduction of corruption is to be achieved through prevention of dishonest acts, through careful supervision by high officials in general, and through good examples rather than through application of Draconian repressive measures. Notes, lists of abbreviations, and of journals cited, and indexes of authors and legislative texts, are supplied.