Achieving a corrupt free society starts with you: Public Protector
Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela on Wednesday lauded the Global Economic crime report released by PriceWaterCoopers saying it was important as it highlighted which crimes are prevalent and how to combat them.
She was part of an interactive panel discussion in Johannesburg focusing on what business and public sector could do to combat economic crimes.
The Public Protector said that the landscape has changed in crime so bribery and corruption are now sophisticated acts within both government and business.
Adv. Madonsela urged both public and private sector to play a leading role in creating and inculcating a culture of morality.
The report noted an alarming decrease in the number of whistleblowers who still fear reprisal. According to Adv. Madonsela this called for an urgent review of the Protected Disclosures Act to ensure an improved protection for those who come forward with information.
She shared the platform with Professor Deon Rossouw from the Ethics Institute of South Africa, PWC’s Louis Strydom and Kuseni Dlamini, Chairmen of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings.
The panellists all agreed that only ethical leadership can ensure a corrupt free society. They also agreed that while it takes two people to commit a crime, it only takes one to stop it.
Adv. Madonsela warned that no amount of policing in the world can help in combating economic crimes if the culture of wrongdoing still exists.
The Public Protector said while immediate intervention, as stipulated in the report, may take a while to come into effect, a good start towards achieving that is a personal call that says “it stops with me”
While the report helps to identify the real problems, Adv. Madonsela believes it indicates the amount of resources that are needed to strengthen institutions that strengthen and protect the country’s constitutional democracy.
She views the report as a roadmap towards achieving the goals set out in the country’s National Development Plan and the broader objectives envisioned in the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
In her closing remarks Adv. Madonsela said while we cannot solve all the problems in the world, knowing what they are is half the solution.
Enquiries:
Kgalalelo Masibi
Spokesperson: Public Protector South Africa
Tel: 012 366 7006
Cell: 079 507 0399
Email: kgalalelom@pprotect.org
