South Africa’s moral-regeneration movement is about positive values and not only about fighting corruption, says Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Responding to a question in Parliament on Thursday from Democratic Alliance MP Wilhelm le Roux, Mlambo-Ngcuka said the movement — previously headed by former deputy president Jacob Zuma — ”was established as a partnership of all of South Africans to promote positive values in our country”. Zuma is facing charges of corruption.
”In so doing, the moral-regeneration movement seeks to establish a consensus on what is wrong in our society and to reach broad agreement on how these wrongs can be righted.
”Without doubt, we as South Africans have already agreed that corruption undermines the very values on which we pride ourselves, the values contained in the Freedom Charter and those underpinning our Constitution.
”We will therefore continue, whether through the moral-regeneration movement or any other vehicle, to promote social cohesion and nation-building and in so doing further bulwark our society against negative actions such as corruption.
”This said, I should also inform members that the moral-regeneration movement is not an anti-corruption body, though clearly the movement is supportive of the anti-corruption work of various structures and governmental institutions.”
She noted that the CEO of the moral-regeneration movement serves as a member of the national anti-corruption forum.
Mlambo-Ngcuka dismissed what the MP called a ”spate” of corruption in South Africa, but said the government’s actions speak for themselves — ”various laws, structures and policies have been launched and these are bearing fruit”.
She said people ”blowing the whistle correctly are protected in terms of the provisions of the Protected Disclosures Act”.
In addition to the provisions of this Act, witnesses can be protected in terms of the witness-protection system managed by the National Prosecuting Authority.
Government heads of department are required to establish systems at departmental level to enable employees to report alleged acts of corruption confidentially. Employees can also use the national public-service hotline number of Tel: 0800 701701 to report corruption confidentially. — I-Net Bridge