Opinion: The Office of Public Integrity Must Be More Than a Name – It Must Be the Engine Room of Accountability The National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) has proposed a bold restructuring of South Africa’s anti-corruption system by potentially merging the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into a new, independent Office of Public Integrity (OPI). This proposal is long overdue. Corruption in South Africa is not a matter of isolated incidents—it is a systemic crisis. Tackling it requires more than scattered investigations. It demands an integrated, empowered, and mission-driven institution. But the Office of Public Integrity must not become yet another institution buried in bureaucracy. It must be the engine room of public accountability, leading the fight against corruption with independence, innovation, and integrity. What Should the Office of Public Integrity Entail? The OPI must be: 🌟Legally and structurally independent, protected from political interference, and directly accountable to Parliament. 🌟Empowered to initiate investigations without requiring a presidential proclamation, unlike the current SIU. 🌟Coordinated but distinct from the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority, focusing on systemic corruption, ethical violations, and maladministration. 🌟The central custodian of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, responsible for: 🌟Driving its implementation across all spheres of government, 🌟Setting clear performance targets, 🌟Monitoring compliance, 🌟Publishing progress reports, and 🌟Mobilizing society around a common integrity agenda. More Than Investigations – A National Accountability Driver To be truly impactful, the Office must also: 🌟Act as the national clearinghouse for implementation of anti-corruption recommendations from oversight bodies like the Auditor-General, Public Protector, Public Service Commission, and judicial inquiries. 🌟Refer recommendations for urgent implementation or enforcement when departments fail to act. 🌟Oversee asset recovery, working with the SIU and Treasury to reclaim stolen public funds. 🌟Coordinate with the National Anti-Corruption Hotline, strengthening public access and ensuring that whistleblower reports are not lost in institutional silos. This would give South Africa something it currently lacks: a strategic centre of gravity in the fight against corruption. A Listening Post, Not a Watchtower South Africa does not need another ceremonial commission. It needs an institution with teeth—and with reach. One that not only investigates, but implements, recovers, and drives transformation. One that is not just a watchdog, but a shepherd of the state’s moral compass. If done right, the Office of Public Integrity could be the long-missing bridge between citizens who report corruption, institutions that uncover it, and the enforcement arms that must act on it. Let it not be a watchtower on a hill. Let it be a listening post in the heart of the nation—and the driving force behind our national integrity. #tpm