Corruption Watch (CW) commends the accountable action taken by Avatar Agency as reported in a recent public statement announcing the release of co-founder and former co-chief creative officer, Veli Ngubane. This follows allegations of unprofessional conduct by Ngubane during a recent work engagement abroad.
CW further calls on Avatar – a creative partner in the organisation’s recently launched Impempe campaign – to broaden its accountability efforts by establishing a platform to lead transparent and constructive conversations that enable safe whistle-blowing within the marketing, advertising, and communications sector.
“We have a responsibility to challenge beliefs, norms, and attitudes that make it acceptable for men to harass women,” comments CW executive director Lebogang Ramafoko. “These norms fuel sexual harassment and sexual corruption, which are a concerning feature in our society.”
Avatar has enjoyed a successful and fruitful relationship with CW, with the latest public awareness campaign launched in June at Avatar’s Sandton office. Impempe aims to reconfigure societal norms around whistle-blowing as an integral part of the fight against corruption. The campaign acknowledges the principle of accountability in leadership as one of the central themes of a society encouraged in blowing the whistle against corruption. When leaders act with accountability in all the demands of their roles, this trickles down across all other layers of an institution and creates a safe environment for whistle-blowing.
That said, CW advocates strongly for accountability not only across our society, but more so among partners and other stakeholders. Through both the Impempe campaign and other work, CW has always committed to high standards of good governance values and principles. We take our partnerships seriously and hold individuals within organisations with which we collaborate, to a high standard that we expect in return. It is on this basis that CW leadership must acknowledge and address such revelations in a statement.
Avatar has been a consistent supporter of CW’s work, and we hope to continue the work we have started with Avatar with the knowledge that the relationship is grounded always in transparency and good faith.
