Public Interest SA Statement Marking International Anti-Corruption Day

Johannesburg, Tuesday, 9 December 2025 — Public Interest SA joins the global community in marking International Anti-Corruption Day by reaffirming our unwavering commitment to advancing integrity, accountability, and the protection of those who speak up against wrongdoing. Corruption remains one of the gravest threats to South Africa’s democratic order, siphoning public resources away from essential services, eroding public trust, and enabling organised criminality to flourish.

This year’s commemoration occurs against the backdrop of intensifying concerns about the assassination of whistleblowers, the infiltration of criminal networks into state institutions, and persistent failures in accountability mechanisms. The courageous sacrifices of individuals such as Babita Deokaran, Mpho Mafole, Benedict Sithole, Lieutenant-Colonel Frans Mathipa, and many others stand as stark reminders that confronting corruption in our country continues to carry unacceptable risks.

We acknowledge progress made in certain areas of enforcement and reform. However, it is evident that institutional courage remains uneven and too often undermined by political interference, capacity constraints, and a pervasive culture of impunity. The integrity of public procurement, policing, and prosecutorial decision-making demands accelerated reforms, stronger interagency collaboration, and an unflinching resolve to pursue the powerful and well-connected who attempt to manipulate the system for private gain.

Public Interest SA therefore calls for:

1. Enhanced Whistleblower Protection and Support — A strengthened legal framework, properly resourced witness protection, and immediate provision of legal, psychosocial, and financial support to those who expose corruption.

2. Transparent and Independent Prosecutions — Decisions relating to high-level corruption cases must be insulated from any form of undue influence to ensure accountability is not selectively applied.

3. Stronger Governance and Procurement Safeguards — Public entities must adopt open contracting principles, enforce real-time transparency, and bolster internal oversight capacities.

4. Public Momentum Against Corruption — Citizens, civil society, business, and the media must remain united in demanding ethical public leadership and the restoration of trust in democratic institutions.

   
   

International Anti-Corruption Day is not merely symbolic. It is a reminder that South Africa’s future depends on the choices we make today — whether to allow corruption to continue eroding our society or to insist that integrity be the cornerstone of governance.

Public Interest SA recommits to standing with whistleblowers, amplifying truth, and fostering accountability throughout the criminal justice and governance ecosystems. Our democracy deserves nothing less.

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Issued by: Public Interest SA Communications