Press release: Anti-Corruption Dialogue with Professor Thuli Madonsela
Author: info@klassikdigital.co.za
The Kagiso Trust recently hosted a public dialogue to address the corruption that plagues South Africa at Constitution Hill with keynote speaker, Professor Thuli Madonsela.
Speaking on The Genesis, Outcomes & Implications of the State Capture Commission, Professor Madonsela who is the former public protector and the current chair in Social Justice Research at Stellenbosch University, said: “In a democracy, no one should have unlimited power that they can do anything without consequences.”
“We must discuss the uncomfortable truth of drivers of corruption and the factors that sustain it,” said Professor Madonsela, “We need to deal with state capture and social justice at once. We have not linked these two successfully. Corruption is an injustice because the word justice, when it was conceived (Greek), was symbolised through scales because it was about fairness."
Professor Madonsela went on to say that there should be social accountability, which involves working with section 96 (putting forth the ethical standards that should be adhered to, which include avoiding conflict of interest and not using state power for your gain or anyone else's gain)and 195 (where there has been a complete deviation from this section where public admin is transparent, responsive and based on high ethical standards) of the constitution, and constantly checking against the vision of the constitution.
She went on to say that it is a pity that people investigate whistle blowers instead of state capture, and that more social accountability measures that could be considered, “We are bound together by the social democratic pact we agreed upon in the constitution to regulate the kind of society we decided to become.” For example, the professor suggested Government should consider reviving social workers in every ward so that they can work with civil society in an integrated way to ensure no one is left behind (this reduces injustice and therefore brings peace which reduces corruption. When there is corruption or any injustice you can't have peaceful co-existence).
Link to the live recording: https://www.facebook.com/kagisotrust/videos/1721426694870549
Three panel discussions ensued:
Highlights from panel discussion 1: “Understanding the root causes of corruption in South Africa and what is to be done?” with Mr Lechesa Tsenoli (Deputy Speaker, National Assembly, Parliament of the Republic of South Africa) Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana (General Secretary, South African Council of Churches) and Mathume Masha (South African Council of Churches).
Bishop Mpumlwana:
· “SA corruption is not just the big and rich people but also in the everyday experiences of the poor and how they live and what they do to survive: corruption is paid for by the poor.”
· “The solution is not in religious institutions moralising corruption. Religious Institutions and their socialisation must depend on several things: what SA needs is a strong and fully supported whistle blowing mechanism.”
Lechesa Tsenoli:
· "You can't build successfully on rotten soil. On corrupt foundation."
Mathume Masha (South African Council of Churches)
· “Corruption has almost become an endemic.”
· Ms Masha suggested a checklist identified for the whistle blowing movement that includes
- Safety and security for whistle blowers
- Identity protection of whistle blowers during investigation processes
- Procedure and security of documents disclosed by complainers
- Procedure and security of persons receiving disclosed documents
- Safety and security of persons involved in an investigation
- Self-incrimination of whistle blowers
- Compensation for the victimised whistleblowers where necessary.
Highlights from panel discussion 2: Challenges and opportunities to build social accountability with Johannes Mudau (From the Public Service Commission), Zukiswa Kota (Head of the PSAM’s SA programme, Rhodes University) and Dr Sarah Meny-Gilbert (Research Coordinator, Public Affairs Research Institute).
Johannes Mudau
· “Departments tend to be lenient to taking disciplinary sanctions against corrupt officials found guilty of fraud and corruption.”
· “Possible strategies to attempt to reduce corruption include blacklisting firms, supporting whistle blowers, transparency and accountability.”
Zukiswa Kota
· “There is a need for a holistic approach to handling corruption.”
· “At local level: we need an increase in participation in local communities. As long as people are left out there, there will be no improvement.”
· “Civil society needs to build power in our poor communities and centre people and communities in these spaces.”
· “We need to boost inclusion: involve most affected by failures in public resources management (women, children, marginalised groups).
Dr Sarah Meny-Gilbert
· “Corruption and patronage are a part of all countries, political systems, economies.”
· “SA corruption is fragmented, and uncontrolled by the centre of Party or State.”
· “Impact of corruption
- Major shortfalls in service delivery (electricity, water)
- Fiscus under strain: compromising the sustainability of social grants and redistributive programmes
- Compromising democracy
- Crowded out space for debating and developing policies for a more just society.”
· “Discussion of systemic changes means a discussion of systemic causes.”
Highlights from panel discussion 3: Enhancing coordination for social mobilisation to promote access to justice and combat corruption with Professor Evangelos Mantzaris (Inclusive Society Institute), Sharon Ekambaram (Lawyers for Human Rights) and Corlett Letlojane (Executive Director HURISA).
Prof Evangelos Mantzaris
“There is lack of trust in the Government from the public. The question that stands is, after the Zondo Commission, will the people's trust go back to the Government?”
“The path to successful public mobilisation against corruption is the bottom line of how to build the social accountability through the coordinating body.”
“The national democratic revolution against corruption cannot take place in stages. It can only succeed if it is a continuous and uninterrupted process.”
Sharon Ekambaram
“Even if we have a body that will be legislative to deal with corruption, without an organised force to hold that body to account, it will be as good as the people who lead it.”
“Social activism: several movements have attempted to protest against corruption, but it hasn't ignited in the places where the impact of corruption is the worst (in communities, townships and informal settlements).”
“We can't deal with corruption without looking at the inequality crisis in our country. There isn't a single political party representing the best interests of the poorest and most vulnerable in our country.”
“We need to hold Government at all levels to account by informed communities.”
Corlett Letlojane
“We are conducting research around enabling the Government around civil society using fundamental rights from the constitution: freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.”
“We have seen reprisals since their research, extra judicial killings and attacks to silence to continue to condone what is happening on the ground.”
“We want to see parliament/government ensure that civil society and chapter 9 institutions are funded.”
Boichoko Ditlhake, Civil Society Support Programme manager at Kagiso Trust said that the dialogue was a contribution to the broader national civil society conference which will take place in two months’ time, “The aim is to have a plan that can be shared with the broader civil society as well as a plan to share with the democratic Government to review how best we can support each other to strengthen our democracy and institutions.”
Kagiso Trust board member, Thabiso Ratsomo said, “This dialogue is our small contribution to see what can be done towards corruption – an event to exchange ideas and reflect on what actions can be taken to save our country.”
In closing, Kagiso Trust’s Chairperson, Mankone Ntsaba, said, “We have picked up on issues on how we activate citizenship. We have talked about transparency, accountability, and participation. We owe it to ourselves, to everyone else and our children to (re)build a strong civil society movement on the ground."