Martha Ngoye is a whistleblower for the vast corruption at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). She is Prasa's group executive for legal. On Thursday she delivered an address at the launch of New South Institute, of which she is a board member. Here is an edited version of her address.
My observation is that a number of countries in the global south have been plagued by systemic corruption and state capture over a number of years. The electorate is getting to the point of understanding the effects of systemic corruption and state capture on their daily lives, and voting patterns are starting to point to a preference for trusted public representatives instead of popular or populist public representatives.
Because the only language that politicians are fluent in is the polls, those vying for public office are starting to focus on trust. The challenge that we have experienced in South Africa is that because winning trust is new for politicians, they sit there as square pegs having to fill round holes.
In my view, an institute like the New South Institute will ensure that these gaps are filled properly by assisting in framing appropriate policy instruments and placing the right people in leadership positions.
As a means to stay in power
When I dreamed of my future as a contributor to the economy, I did not think of myself as one who would need to blow the whistle on corruption perpetrated by some among the people who fought gallantly against a system that...
CLAIM: Video claiming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had resigned. RATING: FALSE A YouTube video falsely claimed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had stepped down from office amid continue...