South Africa’s Connector of Light, Thuli Madonsela, Opens Virtual Conference
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She was called “South Africa’s Corruption Crusader” by BBC News, was named as one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2014 and received a French knighthood. Professor Thulisile “Thuli” Madonsela can now add one more award to her long list of achievements. At the virtual ACFE Global Fraud Conference today, she accepted the ACFE’s highest honor, the Cressey Award, and spoke about the top three things she has learned over her career.
“I’m grateful for this award because it affirms that my team and I did our work to the best of its ability,” Madonsela said. “It takes a village to do the things in life that are attributed to one person. It took a village to do the work we did in combatting fraud, corruption and all kinds of improprieties in the governance of public affairs.”
Madonsela was the Public Protector of South Africa from 2009 to 2016. She transformed the institution by promoting good governance and integrity — including ethical governance and anti-corruption in state affairs. She won worldwide accolades for her bravery and determination in exposing both large and small incidences of fraud and corruption, including investigations and reports that eventually led to the ouster of South African President Jacob Zuma and exposure of widespread fraud in that administration.
Today, she shared her gratitude with more than 5,000 online attendees and spoke about some lessons learned from her time as the public protector and also from her many other roles. As a full-time commissioner of the South African Law Commission, she supervised several investigations into aligning all laws with the Constitution, and participated in the drafting of several laws. She chaired and later project managed the Equality Legal Education Training Unit, which provided foundational training for Equality Court judicial officers. She is also the co-founder of the South African Women Lawyers Association. Her policy contributions have focused on the transformation of the judicial system and the promotion of equality — particularly gender equality. She is currently an advocate of the High Court of South Africa, as well as the law trust chair in social justice and a law professor at the University of Stellenbosch, where she conducts and coordinates social justice research and teaches constitutional and administrative law.
She began by saying something that resonates with fraud fighters in every industry and country, whether in South Africa or Iceland. “We do our work because we are paid to do this work. We also do the work because it’s an honorable thing to do,” she said. Her implication is what I have seen countless times when interviewing CFEs: the work you do isn’t about a paycheck or benefits; it is about standing up for justice and righting the wrongs of the crimes and unethical practices around you. And, at times, that comes with a price. Madonsela mentioned several whistleblowers from South Africa who have “stood in the way of wrongdoing.” They are a part of that village she credits for achieving the many things she has over the years.
She also identified three things she learned during her time as Public Protector:
The need for a “culture reset” and the allowance of mistakes. She described a new culture that holds everyone accountable, regardless of rank and title, and a culture that rewards honesty. “More than anything else, a culture that asks questions, whether we are in government or civil society, about where did your wealth come from as a person or as a country,” she said. “How did you succeed as a person or as a country? And a culture that is tolerant of people making genuine mistakes. Because when mistakes are not tolerated, people hide things and that’s where fraud flourishes.”
A transparent, open system or group of systems. “As fraud examiners, I think our work should include helping people to fix the system. One of the best ways to do so in the system is the idea that came from an American lawyer who eventually became a judge. ‘Sunshine is the best of disinfectants.’ If you want a system that can pick up fraud … make sure that everything is happening in the open.”
Strong leadership. Madonsela quoted John Maxwell, who said that “things rise and fall with leadership.” This type of leadership emphasizes and rewards ethics, encourages and is open to feedback, and makes tough decisions that align with “being good.” She said, “That choice that we all have to make sometimes is to look good or be good.”
There is no doubt that Madonsela will continue to achieve more and more over the years. Her philosophy of being good may sound simple, but we all know how complex that challenge is when you are up against powerful governments, leaders or systems determined to keep their corruption in the dark.
But, as Madonsela said, there is a glimmer of hope. “It is really about going beyond connecting dots to connecting lights so that the work that we are doing combines to make a greater impact. I do think that light is stronger than darkness, but one light is a flicker in the midst of darkness. When you combine those lights, you have a galaxy which is formidable against darkness.”
