Kamogelo Moichela|Published
South Africa has betrayed Oliver Tambo’s ideals through corruption, the abuse of public power and relentless violence against women, retired Constitutional Court deputy, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has warned, calling for tougher action to ensure corruption no longer pays.
Delivering the Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture on Friday evening, Madlanga challenged the country to confront the gap between its constitutional promises and the realities its citizens face.
“South Africa has definitely betrayed Tambo,” he said, pointing to the scourge of gender-based violence and the killing of women and children.
He is the chairperson of the closely watched Madlanga Commission.
Madlanga cited the killings of more than 10 women in Ekurhuleni, where bodies were discovered in a disturbing string of cases, as evidence of a society falling short of Tambo’s vision.
He said the continued violence against women exposed a painful contradiction in a country whose Constitution guarantees freedom and security.
“The reality is that even without such publicly witnessed waves, we live in the midst of the continuous physical violation and killing of women,” Madlanga said.
“This is happening in the face of the constitutional promise of freedom and security of the person…”
His warning extended beyond violent crime to corruption, which he said threatens not only public institutions but also legitimate businesses that can be pushed towards financial ruin by the misuse of public power for private gain.
Madlanga urged the courts and anti-corruption bodies to intensify their efforts, arguing that offenders must face consequences severe enough to strip corrupt activities of their appeal.
“They must do this to make participation in corruption hazardous, to reduce, if not optimistically remove, profit in corrupt activity, and thus to disincentivise participation in any corrupt activity,” he said.
Reflecting on Tambo’s leadership, Madlanga highlighted the struggle stalwart’s integrity, selflessness and commitment to unity within the anti-apartheid movement.
He emphasised that Tambo placed collective interests above personal enrichment and understood that public resources existed to serve the people, not to build private fortunes.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics