Kathy Gibson reports from the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town – Good governance is key to Africa’s development, and no-one should be above investigation.
This is the word from President Jacob Zuma, speaking at the World Economic Forum on Africa this morning.
“Yes, we all believe in good governance,” he says. “It’s an issue we talk about particularly on the continent of Africa; but also within individual governments.”
He points to the peer review mechanism in Africa, where countries score one another on the work their governments are doing, and which now includes more African governments participating than those not participating.
In South Africa, he says there is a strong anti-corruption culture that was not there previously.
“Government has established a lot of institutions to fight corruption,” President Zuma says. “People have the right to go to the public protector and raise issues both big and small.
“There is a lot of transparency that was not there before, and people have been arrested, some are serving in prison.
Other measures like centralised procurement are expected to help curb tender fraud in government, he adds.
Transparency is important, President Zuma adds. “People want to see the law taking its course, and see the decisions that are taken at the end of it. There is more focus and more feeling that the taxpayers money cannot be taken by other people.
“But if there is a problem it is always addressed; if you are small or big, we have structures to look at the issues.
“Even the president is investigated thoroughly.”
Governance under the spotlight
