Ramaphosa must respond to SA’s call for ethical leaders in Cabinet, says anti-corruption body

While the composition of Cabinet is the sole prerogative of President Cyril Ramaphosa, reflecting the values and dignity society desires is crucial, according to Sekoetlane Phamodi, a councillor on the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (Nacac).

Speaking to The Citizen on the sidelines of the two-day Nacac anti-corruption dialogue, which ended in Boksburg yesterday, Phamodi said Ramaphosa and his successor faced “a challenge to really respond to the call of society, to have strong, capable leadership of integrity in the Cabinet”.

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“That is what a democratic society would expect,” said Phamodi.

Corruption vs democratic principles

Addressing a panel discussion earlier, he said consequence management was vital. He cited a case of “someone facing disciplinary action due to involvement in gross misconduct for corruption and financial embezzlement in a provincial administration resigning and later resurfacing in another administration”.

“We are one government, although we may have something close to a federal system in our constitutional framework,” he said.

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“But even so, we should be able to do common tracking, something we need to strengthen and enable.”

Resolutions contained in the dialogue’s declaration statement:

Ethical leadership: It stressed the importance of having leaders who are honest and ethical in every sector – public, private or civil society – setting a good example, demonstrating integrity and encouraging ethical behaviour.

Safeguarding democracy: Corruption threatened democratic principles by eroding trust in institutions and fair representation. It needed to be combated to protect democracy. Democratic processes should be strengthened in a robust, transparent atmosphere, reflective of the will of the people.

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Zero tolerance for corruption: Rejecting corruption in all forms – understanding corruption damaged trust, weakening institutions, slowing economic progress and preventing people from enjoying their basic rights – through encouraging ethical behaviour in every part of society.

Protecting whistle-blowers.

Responsibility for all: It called on all sectors of society to unite, work together and fight corruption in the country. Delegates conceded that this was “a fight that can be won, but [was] not an overnight event”.

Nacac councillor David Lewis said: “While I am not entirely confident about conferences, this one went very well.

“In his speech, the president approached the task with appropriate humility, admitting things that went wrong, which I think was a great start.

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“People want to hear that corruption will be eliminated. But I think, if you can reduce it to a scale that it can be managed and contained, we stand a chance to make inroads.”

Fellow councillor Barbara Schreiner said: “The biggest challenge in South Africa is that corruption is systemic, having moved into all our government departments and state-owned enterprises.”

Call to action

Governance and policy analysts have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to be decisive and courageous concerning Cabinet ministers and senior ANC leaders who have been implicated in corruption.

Professor Mazwe Majola of Worldwide Institute of Leadership and Development and policy expert Dr Nkosikhulule Nyembezi, said actions were “needed now”.

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“The president must take the nation into his confidence by his actions – not only by mere words… We don’t need new policies, but implementation,” said Majola.

Nyembezi said: “The government has participated in anti-corruption campaigns… Still, its inaction on implicated politicians is paltry by comparison with those of its allies in business and civil society.”