The Public Protector South Africa and the South Korean Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) have forged relations that will see the two institutions cooperating in the fight against corruption and the promotion of good governance in the public sector.
This follows an agreement reached on Thursday, 27 October 2011 after a meeting between Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela and Chairperson of the ACRC Ms Young Ran Kim, who led a three member delegation, in Pretoria.
Apart from looking at commonalities in the work of the two institutions, the meeting was also a vehicle for exchanging experiences and sharing good practices, particularly in the area of taking a proactive approach to good governance with emphasis on integrity.
Among the notable lessons learned from the ACRC in regard to good governance was their annual integrity index, which rates the conduct of all government institutions on good governance. ACRC also reports on the impact of corruption.
The ACRC also names the organs of state do not comply with investigation timelines on an annual basis, with a view to encourage cooperation from the state. The body uses the ePeople system, which uses digital access to reach out to people.
The ACRC was impressed with the Public Protector’s work, particularly the specialisation approach, which ensures that cases involving ordinary people are not overshadowed by those involving high profile figures. Ms Young noted the Public Protector’s efforts in the promotion of integrity in the public sector. She also liked the Public Protector’s outreach tactics and the fact that the Public Protector, as an institution, was entrenched in the Constitution.
Earlier in the day, the Public Protector met with her counterpart from Gabon, Mr Jean-Louis Messan. They also exchanged experiences and good practices. Mr Messan is expected to visit again at a later stage with his team.
During their meeting, they also discussed Mr Messan’s role in assisting the Public Protector, in her capacity as the Executive Secretary of the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA), to prepare for the AOMA general assembly and conference in Bamako, Mali in February 2012.
On Friday, Mr Messan visited the African Ombudsman Research Centre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban to explore learning opportunities for members of his team.
Enquiries:
Oupa Segalwe
Manager: Outreach, Education and Communication
Tel: 012 366 7035
Cell: 072 264 3273
E-mail: oupas@pprotect.org
Public Protector and South Korean Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission agree to cooperate
