Rotary club honours Thuli Madonsela

THE Rotary Club of Durban North, bestowed the Paul Harris Fellowship award to public protector Thuli Madonsela at the Durban ICC last week. The award is the highest accolade Rotary International bestows on individuals.

Responding to the gesture, Madonsela reminded the audience that though her office is tasked with enforcing the Executive Ethics Code and public administration principles, it is not exempt from ethical compliance and scrutiny.

The Rotary Club of Durban North, which is the second Rotary Club to bestow the Paul Harris Fellowship award on Madonsela, said it was recognising her for “championing ethics and integrity”.

“We are often asked if we are not being used as pawns in political games,” she said. “Our answer is always simple: To us, it does not matter who lodges a complaint; what is important is whether there is anything to investigate at all.”

Madonsela thanked the Rotary Club for recognising her team’s modest efforts in fighting maladministration, malfeasance and corruption in state affairs.

However, she said it was organisations such as Rotary International that should be praised for providing humanitarian services, encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations, and helping build goodwill and peace in the world.

“You also embrace inclusivity. You are open to all persons regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, gender, or political preference,” she said.

She said South Africa needed more organisations like the Rotary Club if the vision of an improved quality of life and a freed potential of each person was to be realised.