Madonsela to get 'Person of Integrity' award: Corruption Watch

17 October 2014 - 12:29 By Sapa
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South African of the Year Award winner, Thuli Madonsela.
South African of the Year Award winner, Thuli Madonsela.
Image: Gallo Images.

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela would be honoured with Transparency International's 'Person of Integrity' award for 2014, Corruption Watch said on Friday.

"Given the recent attacks on the public protector and her office, one of the crucial anti-corruption institutions in our constitutional democracy, this award represents a gratifying show of support from the global community," Corruption Watch Executive Director David Lewis said in a statement.

"This achievement is a clear demonstration of the wide-reaching impact of the exemplary way in which she has maintained the integrity of her office and fulfilled her role in this country," said Lewis.

Madonsela would receive the award in Berlin on Friday evening.

The organisation was instrumental in honouring Madonsela with the award, as they had written an endorsement letter to Transparency International's integrity awards committee.

"Corruption Watch has long championed the brave and courageous deeds undertaken by the public protector... to perform her constitutional duty to protect South African citizens from the misdeeds of the powerful and to expose corruption where she finds it," said Lewis.

Madonsela said in an interview with Corruption Watch that the award had exceeded her expectations and that it belonged to her entire team for their "hard work and determination to clean up the public service of corruption".

Earlier this year Madonsela found that President Jacob Zuma and his family had unduly benefited from the R246m upgrade of his private Nkandla estate in Nkandla.

She had also recommended Zuma pay back a portion of the cost.

The Transparency International Awards, which were launched in 2000, were created to honour individuals and organisations that were involved in fighting corruption around the world.

Journalists, civil society activists, government and corporate whistleblowers have been recipients of the award in previous years.

In April, Madonsela was named in "Time" magazine's annual list of the most 100 influential people in the world.

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