South Africa assumes leadership of Commonwealth Africa's anti-corruption body
Image: Supplied
South Africa has officially taken the helm of the Association of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa, with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) leading the regional fight against corruption.
The announcement was made during the closing session of the 15th Commonwealth Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa and the Annual General Meeting held in Cape Town from May 5 to 9, 2025.
The chairpersonship was handed over from Ghana to South Africa, with SIU Head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, taking over as chairperson for the 2025–2026 term.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said: 'On behalf of South Africa, the SIU will spearhead efforts to promote collaboration among agencies, integrate technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) into anti-corruption strategies, and uphold evidence-based enforcement throughout Commonwealth Africa.'
Kganyago added in the statement that the SIU, as the chair of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, will align the group's priorities with the association's activities.
The conference highlighted several key areas for joint action, including enhanced cooperation between state and non-state actors, stronger enforcement mechanisms, and the integration of gender-responsive strategies to address the impact of corruption on women and marginalised groups.
Delegates welcomed the establishment of the SIU Anti-Corruption and Cyber Academy, which will focus on capacity building for agencies across the Commonwealth, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the African continent.
'The conference commended the diverse participation from various stakeholders, including state and non-state actors, development partners, civil society, the private sector, and international agencies. These contributions enriched discussions and reaffirmed the collective commitment to advancing the continent's anti-corruption agenda,' Kganyago stated.
Delegates also acknowledged the role of artificial intelligence in transforming Africa's anti-corruption efforts and endorsed its use in improving detection, enforcement, and prevention.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mail & Guardian
2 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
The dangerous allure of Mkhwanazi's state collapse narrative
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. (@SAPoliceService/X) he essence of politics lies in the conquest of hearts and minds, achieved by whatever means prove necessary. While numerous strategies exist to accomplish this, one particularly intriguing tactic is the notion of political martyrdom. This is the deliberate projection of ethics, sacrifice and altruism, even at the expense of one's own self-preservation, to sway public sentiment so profoundly that it compels audiences to overlook even the most dubious subtexts beneath such displays. Let me preface this by stating unequivocally that I do not, in any way, accuse the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner of employing such a strategy. It may well be that his seismic revelations of corruption were motivated solely by an unwavering devotion to this nation and its people. But, what must be plainly understood in politics is the old axiom: where there is smoke, there is fire. One cannot simply disregard the events that unfolded during Mkhwanazi's press conference, nor those that followed in its wake. Let us examine some of the signs that warrant scrutiny. The press conference, in retrospect, employed symbolic imagery reminiscent of a classic coup d'état. For reasons unknown to the public, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi appeared in paramilitary attire, flanked by fellow officers similarly dressed, with some conspicuously masked in balaclavas. Beyond the seismic corruption revelations he delivered, the subtext of his message was unmistakable: the state, including both the executive and the judiciary, could not be trusted. While Chief Justice Mandisa Maya issued a forceful rebuke of Mkhwanazi's claims, the executive's leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, adopted a weaker response — authorising a commission of inquiry and suspending the implicated police minister, Senzo Mchunu. Ramaphosa's reaction served to reinforce, at least in the public eye, Mkhwanazi's underlying narrative: that the state is inherently untrustworthy. Consequently, we have witnessed crowds mobilising in Johannesburg and Durban under the slogan 'Hands Off Mkhwanazi' (a classic hallmark of martyrdom politics) rallying behind the narrative of institutional distrust. This phenomenon is unprecedented in South Africa; even during the Zuma era, protests were directed at the man himself ('Zuma Must Fall'), not the state as an entity. What distinguishes Mkhwanazi's movement is its implicit assertion that the system itself is diseased and must be dismantled. That, to my mind, is the perilous blaze beneath the smoke, one we would do well to observe with vigilance. As committed democrats and South African patriots, we must subject Mkhwanazi's narrative to rigorous scrutiny. While none can deny the pervasiveness of corruption within certain state institutions, it would be intellectually dishonest to assert our entire state system has collapsed beneath its burden. Consider the judiciary, which steadfastly remains resilient. Civil society endures as a necessary watchdog, unearthing graft and malfeasance. The rule of law, though tested, persists, compelling even the most wayward politicians and business actors to tread cautiously, as though haunted by its spectre. Our democracy stands intact; the imperative is not demolition, but course-correction — reforming the state to perfect our system, not destroy it. We must guard vigilantly against justifying necessary reforms through narratives of total state collapse. In a nation already exhibiting troubling symptoms of mass discontent — with security vacuums, widespread disillusionment and entrenched deprivation — this rhetoric risks becoming the very kindling for violent insurrection. Is this truly our desired outcome? I submit this question for sober reflection. Siseko Maposa is the director of Surgetower Associates Management Consultancy. The views expressed are his own opinion.
TimesLIVE
2 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Equatorial Guinea asks UN court to stop sale of Paris mansion linked to leader's son
Representatives of Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday asked the UN's highest court to issue an emergency halt on the sale of a luxury Paris mansion seized from the son of the African country's ruler while judges rule on the long-running dispute. The building was seized after a French court convicted Teodoro Obiang Mangue, known as Teodorin, for embezzlement. He is the 57-year-old son of octogenarian President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Equatorial Guinea argues that France must give back the mansion and other assets, telling the International Court of Justice on Tuesday that France would be violating a United Nations anti-corruption treaty by not returning the property. It argues that the seized assets are part of the public funds that were embezzled from Equatorial Guinea and should be returned to the state under the treaty. It has not said who embezzled the funds. "It has become clear that France is determined to sell the building," Equatorial Guinea's representative at the court, Carmelo Nvono-Nca, told judges. France's attitude was paternalistic and neo-colonial, he added.
The Herald
3 hours ago
- The Herald
Much at stake in how you cast your vote
And so it starts. In just over a year's time, South Africans will vote in the 2026 local government polls , the country's seventh such election since the dawn of democracy. This week, Nelson Mandela Bay got a taste of what's to come. In what was widely viewed as a litmus test ahead of next year's elections, residents in the Bay's Ward 34 went to the polls on Wednesday in a by-election after the death of DA councillor Johnny Arends in April. While six parties contested, including the National Alliance, ANC, EFF and PAC, the PA and DA were seen as the front-runners in what was expected to be a hotly contested election. In the end, it was just 188 votes that separated the two, with the DA securing 2,382 votes (46.56%) to beat the PA with its 2,194 votes (42.89%). In the 2021 local government elections, the DA won the ward with 63.14% of the votes, followed by the National Alliance (17.12%) and PA (2.78%). So what, you might ask? For those who do not fully understand the difference between the national and municipal elections , these are the elections that determine who will represent us at a grassroots level, possibly for the next five years if there are no by-elections in between. These are the ward councillors, in particular, who will take our concerns — literally from our streets — and place it on the municipal agenda. Our first port of call as citizens as far as service delivery is concerned, these are the councillors — we hope — who will ensure our concerns are addressed. As we edge closer to next year's elections, we expect the campaigning of the past three months in this ward will only intensify as parties vie for the support of voters — and spread to other wards across the Bay. And as they campaign, remember this: the outcome of these municipal elections have the most immediate and visible impact on our daily lives, from the overgrown grass in our parks, to the street lights lining our roads and so much else in between. Take the time over the next few months to understand what political parties offer and reflect on what they have already delivered — or not — as you decide who deserves your vote. But, whatever you do, just vote. The Herald
