Speaking in Pretoria at a high level seminar for the ratification and implementation of the UN Convention against corruption, Pikoli said that, since 1999 much had been achieved in pursuance of the UN's call for cooperation among people of different cultures internationally.
The three-day seminar will review progress made towards the implementation of the Convention in southern and eastern Africa and will also look at ways of promoting the implementation of the convention.
Similar seminars have been held in Europe and Asian countries as part of the global effort to combat corruption.
Advocate Pikoli explained that the past five years had been characterised by the development, adoption and implementation of various “significant” anti-corruption instruments.
“In the Southern African Development Community (SADC), we adopted the SADC protocol against corruption in 2001 and in 2003 the African Union (AU) adopted the AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.
“To give effect to the (UN Secretary General's Kofi Annan call, I am of the view that we should at the same time promote the ratification and implementation of these regional anti-corruption instruments,” he said.
He added that all these instruments had the same objectives - to strengthen mechanisms relating to the prevention, detection, punishment, and eradication of corruption.
In South Africa the Public Protector Act empowers the office bearer to investigate allegations of improper or dishonest activities.
The government has also introduced the Auditor-General Act that seeks to monitor the effectiveness of state resources.
The National Prosecuting Authority investigates, and where appropriate institutes criminal proceedings.
The Secretariat of the UN Convention said corruption undermined the prospects for economic investment.
“Few firms wish to invest in societies where there are additional levels of 'taxation',” it said. - BuaNews
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