SOS Urges All to Unite Against Corruption

The SOS Coalition calls for South Africans to support the Unite against Corruption marches on 30 September at the Union Buildings in Pretoria and Parliament in Cape Town.

Corruption has reached alarming levels in South Africa and is threatening to undermine our democratic gains. Vital public institutions are being destroyed, and ordinary South Africans are being seriously prejudiced as billions of rands are either stolen or simply wasted. It is important that we don’t allow and accept these illegal practices as the ‘way things are’ in South Africa. With the March against Corruption, we have an opportunity to join our voices against corruption and those individuals, companies and organisations illegally benefitting from the proceeds.

Corruption thrives in an environment of weak governance, lack of transparency and mismanagement. We are united by the view that unless the crisis of governance is urgently addressed, corrupt practices will continue with impunity. In particular the SOS Coalition is stepping up its campaign to ensure that good governance is restored at the SABC and is currently challenging a range of bad practices that have allowed mismanagement to flourish at this vital public institution.

The Public Protector’s Report on the SABC, When Governance and Ethics Fail, detailed the broadcaster’s gross maladministration and systemic corporate governance breaches in a series of ‘pathological corporate governance failures’.  Despite clear and credible evidence, the Public Protector’s report and recommendations on the SABC has effectively been ignored by the Minister of Communications, the SABC Board and senior management – placing the institution under continued threat of corruption and the illegal diversion of resources.

The SOS Coalition is pleased to join a powerful alliance against corruption and strongly encourages the people of South Africa to march against corruption on 30 September 2015.

The SOS Coalition represents a broad spectrum of civil society stakeholders committed to the broadcasting of quality, diverse, citizen-orientated public-interest programming aligned to the goals of the SA Constitution. The Coalition includes a number of trade union federations including COSATU and FEDUSA, a number of independent unions including BEMAWU and MWASA; independent film and TV production sector organisations including the South African Screen Federation (SASFED); a host of NGOs and CBOs including the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), SECTION27 and a number of academics and freedom of expression activists.

For more information contact:

Sekoetlane Jacob Phamodi
Coordinator
076 084 8077

PRESS STATEMENT – SOS Urges all to Unite Against Corruption