Corruption is without a doubt the biggest obstacle standing between South Africa and its potential to succeed. According to the EconomicCalendar.com, one of the reasons of the downfall of the economy today is due to corruption. So how can we possibly help this situation you wonder? The answer is simple: we stand up and collaborate. 

Many South African citizens are determined to fight corruption and some are collaborating to do this. So let’s take a look at some good examples of this collaboration. In 2015 Corruption Watch launched “My hands are clean” campaign, which encouraged South African citizens to take a bribe detector test to prove that they had not committed corrupt activities. Many took the test and encouraged others to do the same. We learn often in these anti-corruption campaigns that addressing the issue starts with you. Obey the law and encourage those around you to do the same.

In Nigeria, the Minister of State and Education has taken the country’s anti-corruption campaign to schools, challenging the students to remind their parents and teachers about the consequences of corruption. In Liberia, a gentleman by the name of Jonathan Domah has started an organisation that depends on the help of volunteers to report corrupt activities in the country and uses a local radio show to address these grievances by bringing them to the public’s attention. These are just a few examples of citizens collaborating to create awareness and bring about solutions.

 I happen to be one of those affected by corruption in the country I reside in. So I spend a day each week at Corruption Watch, community managing our digital collaborative platform Corruption Watch Connected that engages over 1,300 individuals not only in South Africa but also all over the world. These individuals, or corruption fighters as we call them, are affected and motivated to collaborate around a shared interest – corruption.

Corruption fighters on the platform, are able to share and discuss solutions, post videos and photos related to corruption, sharing documents, etc. The list is endless as to what this community is able to achieve within this digital collaborative hub.  The added beauty is that people are able to work remotely, in real time and not bound by geographical locations to fight a cause that they are passionate about.

Remember it starts with you. If you feel affected by corruption and want to engage with our community, register on Corruption Watch Connected today and let’s collaborate.

Talitha Hlaka, community manager at Indigo New Media, is a collaboration champion and assists Corruption Watch in building a strong corruption fighting community. Talitha is passionate about digital collaboration as a tool to fight corruption.