Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela on Thursday welcomed the announcement that she had been named in the annual list of the most influential people in the world by American news magazine, Time.
Humbled by the gesture, the Public Protector said she was taken by surprise that the modest efforts of her office were not only been recognized at home but elsewhere in the world too.
“Like several other accolades that have been 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,” she said, reacting to the announcement.
“I also hope that this gesture will put the Public Protector or the Ombudsman institution on the world map, therefore alerting governments of the potential of this institution as a partner in promoting good governance, thus strengthening constitutional democracy.”
The Public Protector added that her team would continue to draw inspiration from the fact that their effort to assist government to identify and eradicate maladministration is an important contribution to public accountability and a stable democracy.
According to Time, the list, which is now in its 11th year, recognizes “the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals”. The magazine describes Time 100 as “a list of the most influential people in the world” and not a list of the most powerful or smartest people in the world.
These include scientists, thinkers, philosophers, leaders, icons, artists and visionaries, the magazine explained, adding that these were people who were “using their ideas, their visions [and] their actions to transform the world and have an effect on a multitude of people”.
The full list and related tributes appear in the May 5 issue of TIME, which will be available on newsstands and tablets on Friday, April 25, and now at time.com/time100.