In a time when corruption continues to erode democratic governance, weaken institutions, and threaten the fulfilment of fundamental human rights across Africa, the University of the Free State (UFS) has positioned itself as a space for critical engagement on these pressing issues.
The Free State Centre for Human Rights, within the Faculty of Law at the UFS, hosted a Colloquium on Corruption and Human Rights on 18 and 19 September 2025 on the UFS’s Bloemfontein Campus. The two-day gathering brought together leading scholars, legal practitioners, human rights experts, policymakers, and students from across the continent to interrogate how corruption undermines rights, and to explore strategies for more accountable, just governance.
The programme included a wide range of panel discussions addressing issues such as the impact of corruption on vulnerable groups, sextortion as a form of gender-based violence, the fragility of anti-corruption agencies, the links between corruption and access to health and education, and the protection of whistleblowers across Africa.
Framing corruption through a human rights lens
Opening the colloquium, Dr Jacques Matthee, Vice-Dean for Learning, Teaching, Innovation and Digitisation in the Faculty of Law, described the theme as both timely and necessary. “Corruption is often described as a governance challenge… but its true cost is borne in the currency of human rights, the denial of healthcare, the erosion of democratic participation, the silencing of dissent, and the violation of dignity,” he said. He stressed that addressing corruption requires solutions rooted in “accountability, transparency, participation, and dignity.”
That framing was echoed by
Prof Danie Brand, Director of the Free State Centre for Human Rights, who drew on the Centre’s litigation experience in the Free State. “We have seen, through cases on access to water, sanitation, and housing, that accountability in many municipalities has been eroded. Corruption – from collusion between councillors and contractors to the refusal of officials to perform their duties – directly undermines these rights,” Prof Brand said. He added that the consequences reach beyond service delivery: “Corruption affects basic rights, but more importantly it undermines the right to have rights… the very principles of accountability, the rule of law, and the idea that government exists to serve the public rather than private interests.”
Building on these reflections, Prof Themba Maseko, Head of the Wits School of Governance and Chairperson of Corruption Watch, delivered a keynote address on ‘The Rights and Role of Whistleblowers in Combating Corruption and Protecting Human Rights in a Constitutional Democracy’. With extensive experience in government and civil society, Prof Maseko emphasised the crucial role of whistleblowers in safeguarding accountability and transparency in public life. He situated the colloquium within the wider national context, pointing to the ongoing work of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, the Madlanga Commission hearings into corruption in the police, and the wave of service delivery protests across the country. “South Africa is engulfed in what one may call a corruption epidemic that could undermine our democratic project,” he warned.
He also underscored how corruption undermines not just governance but fundamental rights: “It siphons off resources meant for sustainable development in healthcare, housing, education, and other basic rights.” He highlighted the critical role of whistleblowers, describing them as “the last line of defence of public resources” despite facing victimisation, dismissal, or even death. Speaking from his own experience as a former whistleblower, he added: “I spoke out because I love my country too much. Corruption is a betrayal of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, and it destroys the state’s capacity to serve its people.”
Fostering dialogue and impact
The colloquium also underscored the Centre’s role in advancing human rights and promoting engaged scholarship. Dr Annelie de Man, Coordinator of the Centre’s Advocacy Division, explained the motivation behind hosting the event:
“The colloquium had a dual purpose: to highlight how corruption impedes the enjoyment of different human rights and to explore how corruption can be combatted from a human rights perspective.”
She reflected on how the event fits into the Centre’s broader work:
“As a critical, interdisciplinary, and contextually engaged research, advocacy, and legal-practice institution, the focus on corruption as an impediment to the enjoyment of human rights underscores the work of the Centre by refocusing the impact of corruption on the most vulnerable and marginalised in society.”
Looking to the future, Dr de Man highlighted the Centre’s commitment to turning dialogue into action:
“The aim is to publish a collection of papers presented at the conference. The goal is also to have another colloquium on the same topic in the next year or two to engage with more academics and practitioners.”
By convening such conversations, the UFS reaffirmed its role as a university of the future: one committed to advancing social justice, fostering regional and global engagement, and creating platforms where knowledge translates into action for a more equitable society.
Click here to listen to Prof Themba Maseko’s keynote address.