Public Service and Administration Minister Ms Noxolo Kiviet says corruption perpetuates inequality and poverty which negatively affect the welfare of South Africans to access basic services.

Minister Kiviet was speaking at the tenth session of the conference of the state parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Atlanta, United States of America.

“As we commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the UNCAC, my delegation reaffirms its commitment to the UNCAC and its Implementation Review Mechanism.

“It is undeniable that corruption perpetuates inequality and poverty, negatively affecting the welfare of citizens as they are denied basic services such as health, education,” she said.

According to Minister Kiviet, South Africa appreciate the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in providing technical assistance to State parties, including to State Parties in my region, in our fight against corruption and illicit financial flows.

“Illicit financial flows are not abstract figures. They amount to billions of dollars of missed development opportunities, lost livelihoods, and worsened poverty.

“This is a quote from the Secretary General of the United Nations Organisation, yet some who are beneficiaries of this scourge pretend that it does not exist,” she said.

In accordance with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, President Cyril Ramaphosa established the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) in August 2022 to advise the government on institutional arrangements to prevent and combat corruption.

Last month, the NACAC held its first National Anti-Corruption Summit to obtain views of multiple stakeholders, in strengthening measures to fight corruption.

“We can proudly submit that the first report of this multidisciplinary inclusive entity will be submitted to the President Ramaphosa and Parliament in January 2024.

South Africa supports the resolution tabled by Ghana on “Addressing Gender Inequalities to Counter Corruption.

“As the Chair of the 2023 BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group, South Africa in partnership with the UNODC prioritised the topic of Gender and Corruption and facilitated the hosting of a virtual workshop regarding the gendered impacts of corruption as well as the BRICS Roundtable on Gender and Corruption which immensely contributed to the attainment of SDG 5,” she said.

War on Gaza

“We have witnessed the double standards of some Western countries in dealing with the ongoing genocide being perpetrated by the racist, Apartheid state of Israel against unarmed and defenceless Palestinian people, both in Gaza and the West Bank. We call for an immediate ceasefire and resumption of negotiations which should lead to a two State solution,” she said.