‘Fearless’ Madonsela wins international top 100 award

PUBLIC protector Thuli Madonsela has hailed her team’s “selfless efforts” for landing her on Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential list.

Madonsela, in the news most recently for her report on how President Jacob Zuma “unduly benefited” from the R246-million Nkandla upgrade, was yesterday hailed by the magazine as “South Africa’s fearless public advocate”.

Also on the list were figures of the stature of Pope Francis, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, actor Matthew McConaughey, late night TV show host Seth Meyers and singer Beyonce.

In a tribute written by former Nigerian Central Bank governor Lamido Sanusi, Madonsela was called “an inspirational example of what African public officers need to be”. Her inclu- sion this time around comes after no South African made last year’s list.

Murder accused Olympian Oscar Pistorius made the cut in 2012.

Other South Africans to have featured on the list since it began in 2003 include District 9 director Neill Blomkamp, Graça Machel, Barbara Hogan, Thabo Mbeki, Nelson Mandela, Cyril Ramaphosa, William Kentridge and Jacob Zuma.

Sanusi paid tribute to Madonsela’s “extraordinary courage and patriotism” and to her being one of “the tiny but growing band of African public servants giving us hope for the future of our continent”.

Madonsela said yesterday: “Like several other accolades bestowed on me, I regard my inclusion in the Time 100 as an acknowledgement of the selfless efforts of the public protector team at large.”