feature
After Madiba
Is it possible to reboot and become the model society we were
meant to be? I By Moira Schneider
P
What can be done about the corruption
and lack of accountability in public life
to enable this country to fulfil the promise that seemed assured during the
heady Madiba years? Is it possible to reboot and become the model society we
were meant to be?
Yes, according to Public Protector Thuli
Madonsela, which is surprising considering that her work mires her in the less savoury aspects of human behaviour. At an
event hosted by the Cape SA Jewish
Board of Deputies as part of its “Straight
Talking” series and attended by 500 people at the Gardens Synagogue, former
Democratic Alliance leader and ambassador Tony Leon engaged her on the hotbutton issues of the day.
hoto taken by J
essica E’S
ilva
Photo taken by Moira Schneider
ABOVE: From left: Former leader of the Democratic Alliance and ambassador
Tony Leon, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, and Michal Leon at an event
organised by the Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies.
LEFT: Public Protector Thuli Madonsela chats to audience members after the
event. On her left is David Jacobson, executive director of the Cape SA Jewish
Board of Deputies.
Did she think her support reflected a
country that was seeking heroes, Leon
asked. The quietly-spoken and modest Madonsela replied that this was “absolutely
true. We get a sense that we get more acclaim than we deserve. Our office can
make a difference, but we are one of many
institutions that can get things done.”
Madonsela was named by Time magazine in 2014 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the
‘Leaders’ category. She was described as
“an inspirational example of what African public officers need to be”. She
prides herself on the fact that she has
been able to build her team’s strength,
26 JEWISH LIFE n ISSUE 83
Madonsela was named by Time magazine in
2014 as one of the 100 most influential people in
the world in the ‘Leaders’ category. She was
described as ‘an inspirational example of what
African public officers need to be’.
reassuring a questioner who worried
that the next incumbent may not be as
impartial as she is, that the work was
very much a team effort.
“He or she will impact on the team and
vice versa. At the end of the day, it is
somebody preferred by the majority party, but there is public input to the choice.”
Of her successes, she said: “We have significantly impacted on service failure in
certain areas where there was systematic
maladministration in the municipality; we
have made more people aware of the office
of the public protector; we have identified
a few fault lines in our democracy.”
Referring to what he termed “the