The Public Protector
Thuli Madonsela shares her experience investigating and exposing corruption at the highest levels of government
In 2014, South Africa’s office of the Public Protector — an independent role tasked with investigating government fraud and corruption — released a report detailing tens of millions of dollars in improvements that the country’s president Jacob Zuma made to his personal home on the taxpayer’s dime. The report sparked a media frenzy, first with calls for Zuma to step down, followed by a political backlash with attacks on the Public Protector herself.
For anyone following the political situation in the United States these days, the story likely has a ring of familiarity. A president with strong populist support from his party’s base finds himself under investigation by an independent prosecutor with a long and storied career in public service. Public denials, attacks on the investigator, and, of course, a media frenzy.
On this episode of PolicyCast, we’re joined by Thuli Madonsela, the former Public Protector of South Africa who wrote the aforementioned report. She’s currently in residence as a Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow.
While Advocate Madonsela is quick to point out that she is no expert on American politics, her experience in South Africa does provide some insight on the challenge Robert Mueller faces as he looks into allegations of Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election.
Madonsela discusses:
- The role of South Africa’s Public Protector
- How she anticipated blowback from her report
- Why independence is important for an investigator to be effective
- Withstanding character assasination
- Thoughts on US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s praise for South Africa’s constitution
- Where South Africa’s constitution needs reform
- How the geographic separation of government branches has helped reduce corruption
- Leveraging social enterprise in order to combat fight racial prejudice and social injustice
HKS PolicyCast is the official podcast of Harvard Kennedy School, featuring weekly interviews with scholars and leading practitioners in public policy, leadership, and international affairs. It is hosted by filmmaker, writer, and policy wonk Matt Cadwallader.
