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This is according to Sipho Pityana, the chairman of a constitutional watchdog group called the Council  for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC).

“In the changing circumstances of our times, a conservative assault on the Constitution from some of the most powerful in our society threatens to fatally undermine our capacity to overcome poverty and inequality,” Pityana said.

“It is now beyond doubt that corruption and patronage are so pervasive, rampant and crippling in our society that we are on the verge of being deemed a dysfunctional state.”   

Pityana said a study by CASAC had found three potentially crippling legal and institutional weaknesses in South Africa:

• A lack of effective monitoring and enforcement agencies,
• No institution with a clear mandate to drive educational campaigns on corruption and
• No “true” independence for organisations tasked with  fighting corruption.

CASAC, he said, was proposing “a dedicated, independent agency”  that would be responsible and accountable for the investigation of corrupt activities alongside “pro-active preventive measures” such as education of the public.

Pityana said the agency would need significant political support  to ensure that it was well funded.

“If there is truly no political will to address corruption, no mechanism existing or proposed can succeed,” he said.

• Who is Sipho Pityana?

A former government DG of Foreign Affairs and Labour as well as a businessman holding positions at institutions like Izingwe Capital and Nedcor, he originally hails from New Brighton in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape. Pityana assists the youth and through the Izingwe Foundation, he has donated to the development of his alma mater, Charles Duna Primary School. He shares his life with his wife Nkulie and sons, Mtha and Zukisa, both in their 20s.  Ref: Who's Who and The Herald

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Wed May 22 02:50:26 SAST 2013 ::

Mar 16, 2011

cyborg

That agency will never be independant until the fat cats are out of office, we need to remove them first and the opportunity is presenting itself in a few months.
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Mar 16, 2011

3000

Truth is that lack of morality is so acceptable such that those who are supposed to be of integrity are the first to bend the rules and what precedence does it set for a child that is watching? Imagine a child saying I want to be like Jackie Selebi! What a shame.....
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Mar 16, 2011

samsung

we all know ANC is surrounded by corruption: start with msholozi:
thats way corruption in SA is high
if ur not MAFIA u can't be part & parcel of ANC top list

MAFIA gorvernment tha'ts all can sa

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Mar 16, 2011

vicky

As long as Jacob Zuma is still the president of South Africa, the independent agency to deal with corruption will never exist. Zuma will never allow it as it will expose all of the ministers starting with him. So what shall we do, vote for new neutral party and forget about ANC? ask Zuma to resign
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Mar 16, 2011

B4LES

Good peolple, we need nto to be econimical with the truth. Let the truth be spoken. ANC is harbouring some criminal elements, corrupt mafias adn retarded thugs within its ranks. We might think we are a Socialist State. No, we are a capitalist state, governed by Capitalists Octupuses who wants to hold and own everything. There must be a way in which these octupuses may be vanguished.

Look at the gap between the poor and the rich. It is quite frightening. But NYDA can still get authorasation to throw a bash, which amounted to millions of rands. The ruling party did not even see that as miscourage of equality or spitting on the faces of the poor. Anyway, what do yo expect, Lungile of NYDA and his fellow octopuses copied from the mother body!!
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Mar 16, 2011

Jackee

Not my words. I came across this and thought it poignant.

-----------------------
"The danger to South Africa is not Jacob Zuma but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency.
It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of a Zuma presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Zuma, who is a mere symptom of what ails South Africa.
Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince.
The Republic can survive a Jacob Zuma, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their President. "
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Mar 16, 2011

SiphoMa

While I hate corruption it's difficult for me to trust someone who became wealthy via the public service. Sipho a former DG of Foreign Affairs in the Mbeki administration is brother to Barney Pityana the former principal of UNISA. Just check how much Barney was paid at UNISA per annum.
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Mar 16, 2011

B4LES

You cant expect pity from those who have none.
I happened to cross paths with some of the cadres, or should I say, former freedom fighters. Their argumant, " I did not join the struggle and risked my life for nothing, now is the time to reap the rewards!" Boosted a retarded idiot. My endevour to remind him of the vast majority of the south africans who are suffering, felt on deaf eyes. How many service demonstartions we just experienced in recent past. Everybody is srtiking these days. Prostitutes recently took to the streets, police, army nurses, doctors, the list goes on. Who know, thugs will soon be out of their hiding and embark on strike that their 'clients' are now carrying cheeper phones, Fong Kong necklaces and eyerings, as a result of recesssion!!!!
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Mar 16, 2011

KeRataBasadi

" Corruption is crippling South Africa " NO SHIT man, my 10 yr old niece could have told you that.
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Mar 16, 2011

Jackee

It's to a point I don't trust any of them now as I don't who to trust. Quite sad.
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