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Untiring opponent of corruption

South African lawyer Thuli Madonsela receives the 2016 German Africa Award.

06.07.2016

She was once described by the non-governmental 
organisation Transparency International as “iron lady 
in the fight against corruption”. For many years, South African Thuli Madonsela has untiringly defended the 
Constitution of South Africa, supported observance 
of rule-of-law principles and fought corruption. The lawyer has now received the 2016 German Africa Award for her exceptional commitment. Walter Lindner, ­Germany’s Ambassador to South Africa, gave her the good news in Johannesburg. In 2009, she was the first woman to be appointed Public Protector, an ombudswoman of the South African people, by President Jacob G. Zuma. Since then Thuli Madonsela has taken on a large number of cases. She heads a staff of almost 300 employees to whom ordinary citizens can turn, for example, if they cannot afford a lawyer. She has received great international recognition for her work. In 2014, Time Magazine named her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. The German Africa Award, which has been conferred by the German Africa Foundation since 1993, will be presented in autumn 2016.

www.deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de