Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean-born philanthropist and technepreneur, will address the 9th Annual Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture in Cape Town City Hall on the archbishop’s 88th birthday, 7 October 2019. He will address the topic: Tackling corruption in the public and private sectors – Restoring citizen trust, locally and globally.
Like climate change, corruption has a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
State corruption reduces the level of money available to fund services and infrastructure, diminishes economic development and corrodes the integrity of institutions. Private sector corruption shifts control of the State to business interests, undermining the democratic will of the people.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Commission: “Corruption exists in all countries, irrespective of the economic or political system and their level of development, in the public and private spheres… While acts tainted by corruption can constitute human rights violations, corruption itself is best seen as a structural obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights.”
Masiyiwa has created a massive global telecommunications, media and technology network, Econet, to bring benefits of the 4th industrial revolution home to the African continent. He also manages an extraordinary Facebook account that aims to inspire and mentor the next generation of young African entrepreneurs and leaders, with more than 3.6 million followers.
He serves on international boards including Unilever, the Council on Foreign Relations in the US, and Stanford University, and is the only private sector representative on the SMART Africa Board driving continental digital transformation.. In 2019, he held sixth position on Forbes’ list of Black Billionaires.
The Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture was designed as a platform for the next generation of thinkers and leaders to reflect the wisdom of their elders and articulate new human solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. It is an annual stage for the passing of the baton, in Africa.
The first annual lecture was marked by the South African government’s refusal to grant a visa for His Holiness the Dalai Lama to enter the country. Instead of cancelling the event, Google stepped in to create a live video link between Cape Town and India. Since then, global leaders including Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson, Hina Jilani, Graca Machel and Cyril Ramaphosa have graced the platform.
A limited number of seats for the 9th annual lecture have been allocated to the public – to stand a chance of securing one, register on Quicket: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/81593-9th-annual-desmond-tutu-international-peace-lecture/?lc=59346257.
* This statement was issued for the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. For more information please call Benny Gool 082 5566 556 or Roger Friedman 079 8966 899.