Cape Town - Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has received France’s highest honour, becoming a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Madonsela is best known for being a crusader against government corruption and malfeasance.
She was one of the drafters of South Africa’s Constitution and co-architect of several laws aimed at anchoring South Africa’s democracy.
Madonsela is a multiple award-winning legal professional, with over 50 national and global awards as well as eight honorary Doctor of Law degrees.
Tonight, Ambassador @lechevallierAS bestowed the Legion d'honneur award upon Professor @ThuliMadonsela3 in recognition of her contribution to social justice and the defense of human rights. pic.twitter.com/bZ25aPjP8h
Two of her reports linked former president Jacob Zuma to corruption, the first noting the illegal safety improvements to his family’s Nkandla homestead.
Her second, landmark report dealt with the phenomenon of state capture, and probed the corrupt relationship between the Gupta family, their business interests and the ANC government under Zuma.
Madonsela is currently the Law Trust Chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University, and founded the Thuma Foundation for Democracy Leadership and Literacy at the university.
Cape Argus