The National Anti-Corruption Forum (NACF) has appointed Congress of South Africa Trade Unions general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi as its new chairperson, taking over from former Business Unity South Africa chief Futhi Mtoba.

Speaking at an anti-corruption summit, Vavi said that it was an honour to be elected the new chair of the anti-corruption body. ”If corruption is not defeated it will bring decay and death to the living body of democracy. People are already being killed for blowing the whistle; even I have been threatened with death.”

Vavi added that despite government’s resolutions to fight corruption, it remained endemic. “Since 2001, South Africa has fallen 31 places to 69 out of 176 countries on the Corruption Perception Index. [The whole world] is seeing us as failing . . . and government loses about R30-billion as a result of corruption every year.”

Speaking to Engineering News Online, Mtoba, who is Deloitte Africa’s chairperson, said that with Vavi at the head of the NACF, an “exciting era” lies ahead for the forum. “He will build on what has been achieved and will take the forum’s campaign in the fight against corruption to the highest levels.”

Mtoba added that she would continue in her participation with the forum. “I also participate in the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Anti-corruption and have been invited by the Russian presidency of the G20 to participate in the force on transparency and anti-corruption.

“Participation in the global platform allows us to align anti-corruption strategies locally and globally,” she concluded.