Heartlines lends its support to #OrangeMaskFridays anti-corruption campaign

Heartlines, the Centre for Values Promotion, has endorsed a civil society campaign calling for an end to corruption – particularly the corruption associated with measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic – and calling for those found guilty to be sent to prison.

The campaign calls on people to show their support by wearing an orange mask on Fridays, and to take part in socially responsible, COVID-protocols compliant, protest action.

Organisations supporting the concept of #OrangeMaskFridays include, amongst others, the Active Citizens Movement, the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC), the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Johannesburg Against Injustice, the Muslim Judicial Council, the SA 1st Forum, SACP, OUTA, Corruption Watch and the Patriotic Movement.

The #OrangeMaskFridays campaign takes inspiration from a recent moral call by the South African Council of Churches and several other organisations, urging the government to ensure procurement transparency, and accountability for money spent on fighting COVID-19.

It also draws from Archbishop Thabo Makgoba’s call for 2020 to be the 'Year of the Orange Overalls'. The Archbishop shared these views last year demanding greater accountability for state capture.

The campaign is underpinned by constitutional values of democracy, accountability and transparency. By wearing an orange mask, people will be showing that they are taking a stand against the misuse of public money that should be used to help the poor and those health workers fighting the pandemic.

Heartlines particularly supports this call as it fits squarely with our #valuesandmoney project, which focuses on issues such as honesty in earning, responsibility in spending, and self-control in saving.

In support of the campaign, Heartlines staff will be donning orange masks and posting pictures on our social media platforms using the hashtag #OrangeMaskFridays, ensuring that we are socially distanced at all times, as we remain committed to stopping the spread of not only the virus, but also corruption.