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Advocate Chuma Mtengwane, the deputy national director of public prosecutions (DNDPP): Asset Forfeiture Unit, gave a stirring keynote speech at the launch of Corruption Watch’s Impempe campaign on Wednesday 24 June. Mtengwane, a seasoned legal professional and prosecutor with over 25 years of experience in the South African public sector, expressed her appreciation and support for the goals of the campaign, which are to bring the public and other stakeholders together in a united front to stand as a collective against corruption and support the valuable contribution that whistle-blowers make to the cause.
“Impempe makes a daring call to the public, asking a simple yet provocative question: are you an impimpi (sell-out)or an impempe (whistle) in the fight against corruption that South Africa desperately needs? The campaign also aims to de-stigmatise the act of whistle-blowing while playing tribute to those who have sacrificed their livelihoods, freedom, and at times lives by blowing the whistle,” said Corruption Watch in a media statement.
The campaign forms part of Corruption Watch’s Strategy 2030, which was also revealed on the evening and focuses on bringing about accountability rather than merely exposing corruption. Mtengwane also responded positively to Strategy 2030, saying the National Prosecuting Authority is supportive of the initiative and remains committed to working with civil society.
“Accountability is strongest when citizens are empowered to demand transparency, question abuses of power, monitor public resources, and participate in democratic processes,” said the DNDPP.
Read Mtengwane’s speaking notes below.
Keynote Address Talking Points
OPENING REMARKS
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen
- Let me first take this opportunity to thank Corruption Watch for the invitation to participate in this important occasion and,
- Congratulate Corruption Watch on:
- The launch of the Impempe Campaign;
- The unveiling of Strategy 2030;
- More than a decade of advancing transparency, accountability and civic participation in South Africa’s democracy.
- Let me recognise:
- Chairperson of Corruption Watch, Prof Themba Maseko; Executive Director, Ms Lebogang Ramafoko; Members of the Corruption Watch Board; Representatives of civil society organisations; Government leaders and public servants; Criminal justice sector stakeholders; Development partners; Academia;
- Members of the media;
Contextualise the significance of the event
- The significance of this launch is that it takes place at a pivotal moment in South Africa’s democratic journey where everyone is looking for answers for combating the scourge of corruption.
- South Africa’s democratic journey was built on the courage of ordinary citizens who organised, mobilised, challenged injustice, and demanded accountability.
- Our Constitution did not emerge from silence or complacency. It emerged because civil society insisted that power must always answer to the people.
- That principle remains as relevant today as it was before 1994.
We all need to pause and Reflect on the state of corruption and accountability in South Africa
- Corruption is a national and developmental challenge, a governance challenge and a societal challenge.
- Corruption brings social harm as it diverts resources away from communities.
- It undermines public institutions and weakens service delivery.
- It disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable.
- It erodes confidence in democratic institutions and public administration.
- Corruption is not merely a criminal offence. It is an assault on human dignity. It steals opportunities from young people, deprives communities of essential services, undermines economic growth, weakens public institutions, and erodes trust in democracy itself.
- Every rand diverted through corruption is a rand stolen from a learner without a textbook, a patient without medicine, a community without clean water, and a young person without hope.
- The fight against corruption, therefore, is not simply a legal imperative. It is a moral, developmental, and constitutional imperative.
South Africa has entered a new phase in the anti-corruption struggle
- The last two decades have been characterised by extensive exposure of corruption through:
- Commissions of inquiry; Investigative journalism; Civil society activism; Parliamentary oversight; Whistle-blowers;
- Law enforcement investigations.
- The challenge before us is no longer simply exposing corruption.
- The challenge is ensuring accountability, implementation and consequence.
- Citizens must see evidence that institutions are acting.
- Public confidence grows when they see corruption results in:
- Investigation; Prosecution; Asset recovery; Administrative action; Institutional reform;
- Prevention of future wrongdoing.
- Accountability must be experienced as a lived reality rather than merely an aspiration.
The Impempe Campaign is of significance to us all as the citizens of this country
- As the fight against corruption cannot be delegated solely to government institutions.
- It requires sustainable accountability and sustainable accountability requires:
- Active citizens; Informed communities; Responsible businesses; Ethical leadership;
- Strong institutions.
- The Impempe Campaign has the potential to strengthen public engagement and deepen societal ownership of the anti-corruption agenda.
- Accountability is strongest when citizens are empowered to:
- Demand transparency; Question abuses of power; Monitor public resources;
- Participate in democratic processes.
- Social accountability complements formal accountability mechanisms.
Recognise the Corruption Watch Strategy 2030
- Corruption Watch in its Strategy 2030 correctly identifies a key challenge confronting South Africa:
- The Strategy signals a deliberate move:
- From broad exposure – To focused accountability pressure;
- From reporting alone – To sustained engagement around decision-making and implementation.
- The NPA shares several priorities reflected in the Strategy 2030:
- Ensuring wrongdoing results in legal consequences.
- Advancing public confidence in accountability systems.
The Current Anti-Corruption Climate in South Africa
- South Africa’s anti-corruption landscape presents a paradox.
- On the one hand, significant progress has been made in rebuilding institutions weakened by years of state capture. Investigative capacity is being strengthened, specialised prosecution teams have been established, partnerships across law enforcement agencies have deepened, and efforts to recover the proceeds of crime have intensified utilising the Asset Forfeiture mechanism.
- The National Prosecuting Authority remains committed to ensuring that those who abuse public trust face the full consequences of the law.
- Yet, on the other hand, public frustration remains palpable.
- High-profile cases are often complex, transnational, and heavily litigated. The sophisticated nature of corruption networks frequently involve organised crime, money laundering, cyber-enabled offences, and illicit financial flows demands specialised skills, advanced technology, and sustained institutional collaboration.
Pledge NPA Support for both the Impempe Campaign and Corruption Watch Strategy 2030
- The NPA welcomes and supports the Impempe Campaign and Corruption Watch Strategy 2030.
- We share the conviction that combating corruption requires sustained accountability, active citizenship and strong institutions working together.
- The NPA remains committed to ensuring that corruption and related offences are investigated, prosecuted and, where appropriate, that the proceeds of crime are recovered through the criminal and asset forfeiture processes.
- We look forward to strengthening collaboration with Corruption Watch and other stakeholders in advancing the objectives of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and building a society founded on integrity, accountability and the rule of law.
- As the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, we stand before you pledging our unwavering support for both the Impempe Campaign and Corruption Watch Strategy 2030.
The reality is that corruption has evolved.
- It is no longer confined to envelopes exchanged behind closed doors. It operates through intricate financial structures, shell companies, digital platforms, procurement manipulation, and professional enablers who exploit weaknesses in governance systems.
- As a nation, we must acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: corruption is adaptive, organised, and deeply interconnected.
Our response must be equally adaptive, coordinated, and resolute.
- South Africa’s performance on global integrity indicators reminds us that public confidence in our anti-corruption efforts remains fragile. Perceptions of corruption continue to affect investor confidence, economic growth, and citizens’ trust in public institutions.
- Progress cannot be measured solely by the number of arrests or prosecutions, and assets recovered. It must also be measured by the restoration of public trust, institutional resilience, and ethical leadership.
Just and Accountable Governance
- An independent prosecuting authority begins with an independent appointment process. Aligning the appointment of the National Director of Public Prosecutions with international standards, including Article 6 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, will strengthen transparency, meritocracy, and public trust. Open, participatory, and competency based appointments protect institutions from undue influence while ensuring accountability. Independence and accountability are not competing ideals they are the twin pillars of effective justice.
Institutional Follow-through: From Inquiry to Accountability
- Commissions of inquiry uncover the truth, but accountability depends on what follows. Testimony before commissions does not automatically become evidence in court; it must be transformed into admissible evidence through thorough investigation and prosecutorial guidance. Effective collaboration between investigators, prosecutors, and forensic specialists is essential to convert findings into successful prosecutions. Reports alone do not deliver justice, criminal accountability does.
An All-of-Society Response is a necessity, as:
- Corruption is increasingly borderless, complex, and technologically enabled. Meeting international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force and the OECD Working Group on Bribery requires a whole-of-society response involving government, business, financial institutions, civil society, academia, and citizens. No institution or country can combat transnational corruption alone. If corruption affects every sector of society, then every sector must be part of the solution.
- This is why the fight against corruption cannot be won by prosecutors alone.
- No institution, however capable, can combat corruption in isolation.
Why Civil Society Matters
Civil society organisations are not observers in the fight against corruption; they are essential partners.
They are often the first to detect patterns of abuse, identify systemic weaknesses, amplify community concerns, support whistleblowers, monitor public spending, and advocate for reform.
They provide a vital bridge between citizens and institutions.
They transform public frustration into constructive action.
They hold power accountable when accountability mechanisms fail.
History has shown us that many of South Africa’s most significant anti-corruption breakthroughs began with courageous individuals, investigative journalists, community activists, academics, and non-governmental organisations refusing to remain silent.
Civil society creates the public pressure necessary for reform
- It helps convert information into action, transparency into accountability, and constitutional rights into lived realities.
- Most importantly, civil society reminds us that accountability is not an event; it is a culture.
- As important as civil society is, we cannot minimise the role and the importance of whistleblowers
The Importance of Whistleblowers
- At the centre of this culture are whistleblowers.
- They are among the most important sources of information for law enforcement agencies. Yet, too often, they pay an unacceptable price for their courage. Many face intimidation, professional retaliation, financial hardship, social isolation, and even threats to their safety.
- A society that depends on whistleblowers but fails to protect them sends a dangerous message: that integrity carries greater risks than corruption.
- We must reverse that equation.
- Strengthening whistleblower protection is not optional; it is essential.
- Protecting those who speak out is one of the most effective investments we can make in preventing corruption.
- Therefore, progress on Protected Disclosures Bill as announced by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Ms Mmamoloko Kubayi earlier this year, is very encouraging. As you are aware, the Bill seeks to close significant gaps that have been identified in the current legislation which led to inadequate protection to whistleblowers.
- The amendments are also anticipated to take care of some inadequacies in the Witness Protection Act, in the same vein.
Corruption Watch Strategy 2030: Is a Mobilisation for Justice
- The work of Corruption Watch offers an important example of the critical role civil society plays in strengthening accountability.
- Through its Strategy 2030, Corruption Watch recognises that combating corruption requires more than exposing wrongdoing. It requires mobilising society around a shared commitment to justice, integrity, and accountability.
- Its vision places citizens at the centre of anti-corruption efforts by promoting active public participation, strengthening whistleblower support, advocating for institutional reform, leveraging data and technology, and fostering collaboration across government, business, and civil society.
- The message of Strategy 2030 is clear: accountability cannot be outsourced. Every citizen has a role to play.
- The future of anti-corruption efforts depends not only on the effectiveness of institutions but also on the willingness of society to reject corruption in all its forms.
- This vision aligns closely with South Africa’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which embraces a whole-of-society approach and recognises that sustainable change requires collective action.
We need to Build a New Social Compact Against Corruption
- Our task now is to move beyond outrage and towards action.
- We need a new social compact founded on four principles.
- First, we must strengthen institutions and protect their independence.
- Second, we must improve transparency and accountability across all sectors.
- Third, we must protect and empower whistleblowers.
- Fourth, we must cultivate an active citizenry that refuses to normalise corruption.
- The rule of law is strongest when citizens believe that justice is possible and institutions are worthy of trust.
- Trust cannot be demanded. It must be earned.
- As the National Prosecuting Authority, we recognise that our legitimacy rests not on our intentions but on our actions, our integrity, and our outcomes.
- We remain committed to working with civil society, the private sector, academia, the media, and communities to ensure that justice is not only done but seen to be done.
Closing Remarks
- South Africa has made significant progress in exposing corruption.
- Corruption can be investigated. Corruption can be prosecuted. Corruption can be punished. Corruption can be deterred. Iii-gotten gains can be removed.
- The task before us now is to ensure that exposure leads to action, that action leads to accountability, and that accountability leads to consequence.
- Let us strengthen the partnerships that bind us together and work collectively to build a society founded on ethics, transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
- The struggle against corruption is, ultimately, a struggle for the soul of our democracy.
- Future generations will judge us not by the speeches we delivered or the promises we made, but by whether we had the courage to defend the principles upon which our nation was founded.
- The question before us is not whether corruption can be defeated. The question is whether we are prepared to work together with the urgency, determination, and collective resolve that this moment demands.
- Let us choose accountability over apathy.
- Let us choose integrity over impunity. Let us choose action over silence.
- And let us remember that good governance is not the responsibility of government alone. It is the shared responsibility of every citizen committed to building the South Africa envisioned in our Constitution.
- Together, we can build institutions worthy of public trust.
- Together, we can restore confidence in our democracy.
- Together, we can ensure that corruption finds no refuge in our society.
- Together we can ensure that no one benefits out of corruption.
