Civil society and faith-based organisations lay down the gauntlet in fight against corruption

At a media briefing in Johannesburg civil society organisations came together in a show of unity to express their outrage at the unacceptable levels of corruption in our country, and its impact on the sector’s work in communities.

The group highlighted the need to take decisive action through the Unite Against Corruption initiative that is holding a series of marches against corruption on 30 September 2015, in a visible demonstration that people living in this country have had enough of corruption and the impunity enjoyed by those wielding power in both public and private sectors.

In what can be seen as a symbolic laying down of the gauntlet, civil society, together with leading organisations and individuals from academia, trade unions, faith-based organisations, and the private sector, have drafted a set of key demands that will be presented to leaders at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, and at Parliament in Cape Town, next Wednesday.

These encompass a wide range of critical issues that need to be addressed if we are to reverse the destructive impact of corruption on almost every aspect of our lives. Foremost among these are:

• The need to protect and fund appropriately the office of the Public Protector;
• The need for government to develop and action emergency plans to identify and root out corruption in key government departments involved in service delivery, taking appropriate action against corrupt officials; and
• The need for business to support anti-corruption programmes in their own organisations and in broader society.  The list of organisations and individuals endorsing the march is growing daily, ranging from organisations squarely located within the social justice arena, to trade unions, media personalities, faith-based leaders, and ordinary people wanting to see an end to corruption. A list of some of these organisations, from Transparency International, Oxfam, Amnesty International, to trade unions such as MWASA, AMCU and NUMSA, to faith-based organisations such as the ACC, and the Muslim Judicial Council, is attached here.

Plans are being solidified, with concrete activities also being planned in Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal, and other areas around the country. Routes are in the final stage of being locked down.

In Cape Town, agreement has been reached with the City of Cape Town that the protest will take place, and that participants will follow this route, starting at 11h00: Participants to start from Keizergracht, proceed down Darling Street, turn left into Adderley Street, turn left into Spin/Bureau Street, turn right in Plein Street and pass Parliament. Thereafter, participants are to return to Keizergracht via Roeland Street, left into Buitenkant Street, right in Darling Street.”

The procession in Pretoria starts at Burger’s Park and will move along Lillian Ngoyi Street, turning right into Francis Baard Street, turning left into Soutspansberg Road, turning right into Stanza Bopape Street, and then turning left into the gardens of the Union Buildings.

Final plans for meeting points and transport will be shared at a follow up press conference on Monday, 28 September.

FOLLOW THE CAMPAIGN ONLINE & PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT AT:

• Web:               uniteagainstcorruption.co.za

• Email:             media@uniteagainstcorruption.co.za

• Facebook:       facebook.com/uacnow

• Twitter:           @UAC_Now

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark Heywood           M: 083.634.8806         E: heywood@section27.org.za

Oya Hazel Gumede    M: 082.444.9468         E: oyahazelgumede@gmail.com

Miles Giljam               M: 079.574.2926         E: milesgiljam@mac.com

Unite against Corruption is a broad consortium of organisations and individuals from academia, civil society, faith-based organisations, the private sector and trade unions. The consortium presents an opportunity to bring together, in a spirit of unity, all those people who view corruption as an assault on our Constitution’s promise of equality and dignity. It is an initiative free of association with particular individuals or political parties.

LIST OF SOME ENDORSING ORGANISATIONS

Anglican Catholic Church

Amnesty International

Transparency International

Centre for Applied Legal Studies

Desmond & Leah Legacy Foundation

Oxfam

Ex-Midrand Workers

Lawyers for Human Rights

Legal Resources Centre

Muslim Judicial Council

My Vote Counts

NUMSA

South African Christian Leaders Initiative (SACLI)

Cooperative and Policy Alternative Center (COPAC)

SASAWU

Treatment Action Campaign

AMCU

Women’s Legal Centre

OUTA

MWASA

South African Guild of Writers

Tri-Continental

Federal Council of Retail Workers Union

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