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Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela has thanked the Tällberg Foundation for selecting her to form part of its Global Leaders list for 2016.

The Foundation on Wednesday announced Adv. Madonsela among the "five extraordinary women who are responding to leadership challenges of the 21st century".

The Foundation is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit education organisation that seeks to provoke people to think differently about global issues that are shaping their present and their future.

Reacting to the announcement on Wednesday, Adv. Madonsela said:

"Words cannot express the depth of my gratitude at the news of being selected as one of the five Tällberg Global Leaders. It is an enormous privilege to receive such an honour. I'm supremely grateful to the Tällberg Foundation for this remarkable honour. I'm also honoured to be associated with the Foundation whose work with regard to engendering ethical global leadership I have witnessed in action."

Adv. Madonsela added that the honour recognised the role of the Public Protector Team and that of institutions performing work similar to that of her office all over the world.

"The recognition affirms the critical role played by the Public Protector and similar institutions globally, which are commonly referred to as Ombudsman Offices, in leading the world out of the abyss it has put itself in with regard to governance and leadership lapses impacting on domestic and global peace," she said.

Foundation Chairperson Alan Stoga explained that, by honouring Adv. Madonsela and the four other women leaders, the Foundation sought to draw attention to their work and to provoke a global conversation on leadership.

"They demonstrate that effective, courageous and innovative leadership that can overcome even the most seemingly intractable issues," Stoga said.

Adv. Madonsela and the other leaders were selected by an international jury, through a secret ballot, from a pool of 270 nominations from 60 countries. Jurors are required to declare any material conflicts and expected to make selections without bias.

The nominees work in a wide range of fields and roles, including business, politics, arts and social activism. They were nominated through a global, open online process conducted during the first half of the year.

They will join past winners for a three-day workshop on leadership challenges in the 21st century in Amsterdam, Netherlands at the end of November 2016.

Issued by Public Protector South Africa