Amplifying the voices of South Africa’s youth at a Youth Anti-Corruption Dialogue

Johannesburg, South Africa: 16-17 November 2024. In the lead-up to International Anti-Corruption Day 2024, with the theme “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity”, UNODC, in partnership with GIZ and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) supported the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) of South Africa to host a two-day Youth Anti-Corruption Dialogue in Johannesburg. By uniting forces, this initiative highlights the pivotal role of young people in fostering integrity and transparency within society.

The dialogue was attended by 60 youth delegates, some as young as 17, representing various non-governmental organizations and student bodies from all provinces of South Africa.

The Youth Anti-Corruption Dialogue represents a significant step in advancing the whole-of-society approach to fighting corruption and engaging the next generation in this fight.

This initiative showed that platforms such as these are essential for educating youth about the adverse effects of corruption, providing them with tools to identify and combat unethical practices, and inspiring proactive approaches to promoting accountability.

Otsile Nkadimeng (20), from the civil society organization “So We Vote”, a youth voting advocacy group which fosters civic education work and making voting more accessible with the goal of closing the age gap at the election polls, by helping youth to understand more about politics and democracy, was excited about attending the dialogue and the opportunity to engage with a broad range of people from different backgrounds.

When asked what young people can do about corruption, Otsile had this to say: “Corruption is fundamentally a question of how we the people interpret leadership and the power that leadership can use in a country. If young people gather in spaces and have these conversations around the impact of corruption and how we can be part of implementing an environmental and social change in attitude to leadership and power, I think we can have a serious impact on shifting the balance of power and ensure that corruption is less likely to occur.”

The Youth Anti-Corruption Dialogue tackled some critical themes, particularly around encouraging whistleblowing and fostering a culture of accountability among leaders. Participants engaged in thought-provoking discussions on:

Encouraging Whistleblowing:
Youth explored ways to create systems and platforms that make it easier and safer for individuals to report corruption. The focus was on developing actionable plans to promote whistleblowing as a key tool in the fight against corruption. Suggestions included targeted awareness campaigns to educate communities about the importance of whistleblowing and how it contributes to transparency.
Protecting Whistleblowers:
Recognizing the risks whistleblowers face, participants stressed the importance of implementing systems that allow for anonymous reporting and robust mechanisms to shield whistleblowers from retaliation. This could involve secure digital platforms, legislative safeguards, and support networks for those who report corruption.
Fostering Leadership Accountability:
Discussions emphasized the need to cultivate a culture where leaders are held accountable for their actions. This includes building trust between leaders and the public, ensuring leaders commit to anti-corruption efforts, and leading by example to inspire change.

Otsile Nkadimeng (20), from the civil society organization

These conversations reflect the growing determination among youth to address corruption systematically and creatively. Nkanyezi Thabethe (17), Regional Convener of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) emphasized the need for youth to stop normalizing bad behaviour, and start being active citizens in their own communities. She further called for more creative solutions to helping young people understand what corruption is.

The development of a Youth Action Plan on Anti-Corruption, based on three of the six pillars of South Africa’s NACS [1]as well as the signing of a Youth Anti-Corruption pledge [2]are aspects of the initiative that stand out. Knowing that these outcome documents will be presented at the main commemoration of International Anti-Corruption Day, participants felt that their voices are being heard and that they are indeed shaping tomorrow’s integrity.

United Nations

UNODC ROSAF

Amplifying the voices of South Africa’s youth at a Youth Anti-Corruption Dialogue

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