South Africa2024-10-09T07:33:24+00:00

South Africa

This year’s 2024 Integrity Icon campaign has expanded to include the Civic Leaders initiative, recognising not only public servants but also grassroots advocates who are making a significant impact in their communities. These individuals exemplify the values of integrity, accountability, and community service, setting a high standard for leadership across South Africa.

Meet the changemakers driving transformation across South Africa. Sr. Thokozile Portia Kunene, Ntombenkosi Dyani, and Sgt. Thando Kodwa are celebrated as Integrity Icons for their outstanding contributions in healthcare, agriculture, and law enforcement. Sr. Kunene has significantly improved health outcomes through her early antenatal services and after-hours education programs in Diepsloot, while Ntosh Dyani has strengthened local farming practices in the Eastern Cape through sustainable agriculture. Sgt. Kodwa, stationed at Indwe Police Station, leads innovative community policing initiatives and has earned national recognition for his work in gender equality.

Meanwhile, Khalil Ahmed Mohamed and Chantal Chetty Ogle are recognised as Civic Leaders for their grassroots efforts. Khalil tirelessly advocates for improved community services in Lenasia, bridging the gap between residents and authorities. Chantal, the founder of Lovechild Media F & P, transforms personal tragedy into action by giving a voice to marginalised communities in Finetown and Ennerdale. Explore their inspiring stories here.

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Accountability Lab is building a new generation of active citizens and responsible leaders around the world. We train, mentor and resource citizens in creative ways to strengthen systems of accountability and unleash positive social and economic change. 

Since 2012, we’ve worked across Liberia, Nepal, Mali, Nigeria and Pakistan, making governance work for people everywhere. We now operate in other countries too, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Niger, Mexico, DRC, and Somaliland.

About - Celebrate, Encourag and Connect Civil Servants | Integrity Icon
About - Celebrate, Encourag and Connect Civil Servants | Integrity Icon

In 2018, we launched Integrity Icon South Africa, a national campaign to name and fame honest government officials. Building on the early success of the campaign as a special project, Accountability Lab South Africa registered as an independent country office in 2019.

In March 2020, Accountability Lab (AL) and partners including Explain and ACTIVATE! Change Drivers launched our third edition of Integrity Icon South Africa. Building on the successes of the campaign since it began in 2018, we asked South Africa to nominate public servants who work with honesty and integrity and “do the right thing even when no-one is watching”.

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NOMINATIONS FROM ALL 9 PROVINCES IN SA

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INTEGRITY ICONS NAMED AND FAMED

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VOTES RECEIVED FOR THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER

A lack of integrity – which leads to corruption, inequality and insecurity – is a global challenge. Ordinary citizens often feel helpless in the face of graft and mismanagement. There is a need to encourage champions of integrity, which ultimately builds public trust. We ‘name and fame’ public servants who display exemplary integrity and make heroes out of ordinary people doing the right thing.

The value of Integrity Icon is the process, not the outcome. It is a way to create meaningful conversations about what it means to be a public servant and shines a light on the role of ordinary people in strengthening institutions in a society such as ours. It also encourages us to think about what is needed to build an open, inclusive and accountable societies.

About - Celebrate, Encourag and Connect Civil Servants | Integrity Icon

Meet the 5 South African Integrity Icon Winners

Adell Lebabo

Bongani Eric Siyona

Desiree Sehlapelo

Dr Anna Cross

Goodman Sibongeleni Mkhize

Our Judges

Mark Heywood 

Mark Heywood is a human rights and social justice activist. He was also one of the founders of the Treatment Action Campaign, AIDS & Rights Alliance of Southern Africa, Corruption Watch and Save South Africa. He has experience in constitutional litigation and has been instrumental in many landmark human rights cases in South Africa. He is currently the founding and co-editor of the Maverick Citizen, a segment of the online newspaper Daily Maverick.

Phumelele Nzimande

Phumelele Nzimande is a Commissioner in the Public Service Commission. She is a Social Scientist and an accredited Commercial Mediator by background and has served in Public Administration at Senior Levels including as a nurse, Deputy Chair of the Gender Commission and Group Executive Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at SABC. She has also served on a number of public sector Boards including as Chair of the Human Sciences Research Council as well as a trustee of the Brand SA Board.

Mmapaseka “Steve” Letsike

Steve Letsike is a seasoned leader, feminist, human rights advocate and entrepreneur with over 16 years of experience in international policy and human rights. She founded Access Chapter 2 (AC2), a human rights organisation that works to improve the rights of women and LGBTI+ people in South Africa and serves as the co-chair of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) portfolio. She is also the co-chair of the national task team established by the Department of Justice to address hate crimes and gender-based violence in South Africa. Steve was appointed by the Minister of Health as a councillor in the South African Pharmacy Council and later to the Ministerial Advisory Committee. She also serves as the chairperson of the Commonwealth Equality Network(CEN), with membership in 54 commonwealth countries and the Global UN Women Global LGBTI advisory group, as well as the Southern Africa UN Women Civil Society Advisory Group, the Women4 Global Fund Network, and other national CSOs boards.

Khadija Patel

Khadija Patel is the Head of Programmes at The International Fund for Public Interest Media and is the former editor-in-chief of the Mail & Guardian in South Africa. She is the co-founder of The Daily Vox and chairperson of the International Press Institute (IPI). As a journalist, Khadija has produced work for Sky News, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Quartz, City Press and the Daily Maverick, among other publications. She is also a research associate at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Witwatersrand (WISER).

Meet our previous judges here.

INTEGRITY ICON CAMPAIGN TIMELINE:

  • 6 April – 23 July

    Nominations: The people of South Africa nominate public servants who embody the value of integrity and demonstrate the importance of honesty, accountability and personal responsibility. 

  • 23 July – 31 August

    Selection: A high level panel of respected social leaders select this year’s Icons. The 2020 panel included Koketso Moeti of amandla.mobi, Mark Heywood of Maverick Citizen, and attorney and social campaigner Tumi Sole.

  • 1 September- 30 September

    Filming: Locally based film production company to work with 5 young aspiring South African filmmakers to create short mini-documentaries (90 seconds) about the finalists doing their jobs, talking about why it is important to serve with the spirit of accountability and interacting with others who can attest to their integrity.

  • 1 October – 31 October

    National Screening and Public Voting: Short films to be shown on national TV, national and community radio stations, and on social media platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp, and YouTube. The public will be encouraged to vote for their favourite Integrity Icon through SMS, Whatsapp and online. National voting begins on 1 September.

  • 1 October – 30 October

    Local Screenings and Dialogues: The short films will be shown in the Icons’ communities through local partners leading a dialogue with the Icons on understanding some of the systemic public service accountability challenges and the creative ways the Icons are addressing these.

  • November

    South Africa’s fourth cohort of Integrity Icons celebrated at a Final Ceremony and Integrity Summit in Johannesburg.

SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN FOR CHANGE:

Our goal is to build a broad movement of people recognising and acknowledging ethics and integrity in the public service. To make this possible, we need you. Support us in one or more of the following ways:

  • Spread our Message

    Help us to raise awareness about the Integrity Icons campaign and its importance for promoting service excellence and turning the tide on corruption and misconduct in the public service. Share stories about our Icons and the campaign; host an engagement with one of our Icons; or profile a public servant you believe epitomises integrity and service excellence.

  • Submit a Nomination

    To name the 2021 cohort of Integrity Icons, we need you to help us identify them. Run a nomination drive at your workplace and in your community. Submit as many nominations as you would like, showcasing how your nominee goes over and above the call of duty to be a model of ethics and integrity in the public service.

  • Sponsor the Awards

    It takes a lot of capacity and resources to run a national campaign, profiling and acknowledging excellence in the public service, and amplifying the importance of doing the right thing. Back our campaign with a donation; support our Film Fellowship; contribute an insert or airtime on your publication, channel or station; or sponsor our awards ceremony.

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