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Athol Williams
Athol Williams in Oxford, UK, 2017
Athol Williams in Oxford, UK, 2017
BornAthol Williams
(1970-06-20)20 June 1970(age 54)
Cape Town,South Africa
OccupationWriter, Applied Philosopher
LanguageEnglish
NationalitySouth African
Alma materOxford University
London School of Economics
Harvard University
London Business School
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of the Witwatersrand
Notable worksDeep Collusion
Bumper Cars
Pushing Boulders
Website
www.atholwilliams.com

Athol Williams(born 20 June 1970) is aSouth Africanpoet, applied philosopher and business lecturer[1]based atOxford University.[2]

Life

[edit]

Williams was born inLansdowne,Cape Town, South Africa, and grew up inMitchells Plain,thecolouredtownship established underapartheid.Before becoming a professional writer and social philosopher, he worked in business for fifteen years, mainly as a strategy advisor.

It was at the University of the Witwatersrand, in 1991, that he published his first poem, "New South Africa", in the student publicationWits Student.The poem captured the newfound optimism associated with the release from prison ofNelson Mandelaand other anti-apartheid leaders in 1990.[3]

He is the co-founder of Read to Rise,[4]an NGO that promotes youth literacy by making appropriate books available to children in poor communities and founder of theInstitute of Social and Corporate Ethics(ISCE). He serves on the board of New Contrast Literary Magazine, a South African literary journal,[5]and is the founder of the Cape Flats Book Festival.[6]

Anti-corruption

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Williams is acknowledged for his anti-corruption and ethical business stance. In October 2019, Williams blew the whistle onBain & Companystating that they had withheld relevant information from the Nugent Commission investigating irregularities atSouth African Revenue Service.[7][8][9][10]In December 2019, several media outlets reported that Bain had attempted to buy Williams's silence.[11][12][13][14]The Nugent Commission found that Bain did not make full disclosure.[15]Bain have denied these allegations.[16][17]

In March 2021, Williams testified for two days before theState Capture Commissionpresenting evidence relating to Bain's alliance withJacob ZumaandTom Moyanein alleged state capture in South Africa.[18][19][20][21]The Commission's final report concluded that Bain's behaviour was 'unlawful' and praised Williams for rejecting hush money and acknowledged his contribution, stating 'it particularly wishes to express its appreciation to Mr Williams for the evidence he gathered and placed before the Commission.'[22]In November 2021, Williams publishedDeep Collusion: Bain and the capture of South Africabased on his testimony and experience at Bain.[23]

On 1 November 2021, Williams fled South Africa due to safety concerns. As a witness andwhistle-blowerwho implicated dozens of individuals in the ongoingZondo Commission,he feared possible reprisal.[24][25]While in exile, Williams collaborated withLord Peter Hainto draw global attention to Bain's corrupt activities in South Africa. One outcome of this campaign was the announcement by the UK government on 3 August 2022 that its investigation concluded Bain was 'guilty of grave professional misconduct' leading to a 3 year ban from state contracts.[26][27][28]

Academic

[edit]

Williams holds three academic posts atOxford University.In 2023 he was appointed Lecturer in Management atSaid Business School[29]and Lecturer in Management atSt Peter's College.[30]He has held the position of Research Associate atHertford College[2]since 2022. In June 2024, Hertford College announced that it had awarded Williams its highest recognition, an Honorary Fellowship.[31]

He is the first person to earn five master's degrees from five global top-ranked universities.[32]He holds the following degrees:

Williams has held the positions of adjunct professor atUniversity of the Witwatersrandand Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town, specialising in corporate responsibility and ethical leadership[37] He was also a Research Fellow in the Centre for Applied Ethics at the University of Stellenbosch.[38]

Writing

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From 2009 to 2014, Williams published his poetry under the pseudonym AE Ballakisten. His poetry typically addresses four themes: (i)social justiceas in the poemsWhen It Rains,Protest in ColomboandCoat of Arms(ii) exploration of ourhumanityas inYour Song(iii)inspirationas we find in39 Postcardsor (iv) thesurrealas in the poemAt Home.

Williams's academic writing focuses on corporate responsibility and business ethics. He is often published in the media on topics of poverty,[39][40]youth literacy,[41]social justice[42]and corporate malfeasance.[43][44][45]

Williams writes regularly on public affairs for publications in South Africa and is a regular radio guest and conference speaker. He has a regular column forThought Leader[46][47]and has recently published in theMail & Guardian,[48]The Big Issue[49]andBusiness Day.[44]

Bibliography

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Poetry

[edit]
  • Heap of Stones(2009; Theart Press)
  • Talking to a Tree: Poems of a Fragile World(2011; Theart Press)[50]
  • Bumper Cars.Onslaught Press. 2015.ISBN978-0-9927238-7-3.
  • Invitation(2017; Theart Press)[51]
  • Fragile(2020; Theart Press)[52]
  • Whistleblowing(2021; Geko Publishing)[53]

Non-fiction

[edit]

Children's books

[edit]

Awards and honours

[edit]

Academic

[edit]

Literary

[edit]
  • Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award (2015)[71]
  • Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award (2016)[72]
  • Parallel Universe Poetry Competition, Winner,Oxford University(2016).[73]
  • South African Independent Publishers Award (2017) forInvitation[74]
  • Cultural Affairs Award for Contribution to Literary Arts, Western Cape Provincial Government (2019).[75]

Public Service

[edit]
  • Special Recognition Award,Blueprint for Free Speech, Australia, 2022[76]
  • Chairman's Award,SA Chamber of Commerce UK, 2022[77]
  • Mayor's Medal for Extraordinary Bravery,Cape Town, South Africa, 2023[78][79]

References

[edit]
  1. ^https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/about-us/people/athol-williams
  2. ^ab"Athol Williams".
  3. ^abWITS Review, January 2012, University of the Witwatersrand
  4. ^"Meet the READ to RISE Management Team".Read to Rise.Retrieved26 October2014.
  5. ^"About Us".New Contrast Literary Magazine.Retrieved11 June2021.
  6. ^"Mitchells Plain hosting Cape Flats book festival ahead of National Book Week".www.iol.co.za.Retrieved11 June2021.
  7. ^"WATCH: Athol Williams shakes finance fraternity with public resignation from Bain & Company".www.iol.co.za.Retrieved11 June2021.
  8. ^"Athol Williams leaves Bain just six months after joining".www.consultancy.co.za.22 October 2019.Retrieved11 June2021.
  9. ^"NATASHA MARRIAN: Whistleblower spills the beans on Bain".BusinessLIVE.Retrieved11 June2021.
  10. ^"The man who saw through Bain's spin and 5 highlights from 'Vrye Weekblad'".TimesLIVE.Retrieved11 June2021.
  11. ^Mahlaka, Ray (19 December 2019)."Business Maverick: Athol Williams: 'Bain & Company trying to silence me about its role in State Capture'".Daily Maverick.Retrieved11 June2021.
  12. ^Buthelezi, Londiwe."Bain 'fixer' Williams: 'I've been through hell the last 2 months'".Fin24.Retrieved11 June2021.
  13. ^"ex-partner-hired-to-fix-bain-south-africa-turns-against-firm".Bloomberg.com.Bloomberg. 19 December 2019.Retrieved19 October2021.
  14. ^Natasha Marrian."Partner that Bain brought in to clear its image now accuses it of attempted cover-up".BusinessLIVE.Retrieved11 June2021.
  15. ^"SARS Commission 2018".www.inqcomm.co.za.Retrieved11 June2021.
  16. ^"Bain denies withholding evidence of alleged SARS wrongdoing | eNCA".www.enca.com.Retrieved11 June2021.
  17. ^"Bain & Company Statement: December 20, 2019".Bain.Retrieved11 June2021.
  18. ^"Day 367".Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State.
  19. ^"WATCH LIVE: Athol Williams continues testimony at state capture commission".ewn.co.za.Retrieved11 June2021.
  20. ^Nicolson, Greg (23 March 2021)."DAYS OF ZONDO: Bain & Co planned to work with Zuma to 'reshape SA economy', says former partner Athol Williams".Daily Maverick.Retrieved11 June2021.
  21. ^"State Capture | I received a lot of threats - Athol Williams | eNCA".www.enca.com.Retrieved11 June2021.
  22. ^"Zondo gives whistleblower Athol Williams a glowing tribute".4 January 2022.
  23. ^Williams, Athol."EXCERPT | Athol William's 'Deep Collusion': Bain & Co's meetings with Zuma".Life.
  24. ^"Public Statement - FORCED TO LEAVE".Athol Williams.7 November 2021.Retrieved8 November2021.
  25. ^"Athol Williams: South Africa corruption whistle-blower flees for his life".BBC.8 November 2021.Retrieved8 November2021.
  26. ^"Bain barred from UK state contracts over 'grave misconduct' in South Africa".Financial Times.2 August 2022.
  27. ^"Bain consultancy banned from government work over 'misconduct'".BBC News.3 August 2022.
  28. ^Ralph, Tom Howard."Consultancy banned from Whitehall work over Zuma corruption claims".
  29. ^"'Inspiring others to thrive' - renowned poet, anti-corruption campaigner and academic Athol Williams joins our faculty | Saïd Business School ".15 February 2024.
  30. ^"Mr Athol Williams".Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2023.
  31. ^ab"Athol Williams awarded Honorary Fellowship".
  32. ^"SA poet receives Master's degrees from fifth top university | Cape Times".Retrieved29 January2018.
  33. ^The Plainsman, 17 February 2010
  34. ^"Interview with Athol Williams » Africa Oxford Initiative".www.afox.ox.ac.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 26 September 2017.Retrieved26 September2017.
  35. ^LSE Digest(PDF),London School of Economics,1 August 2013
  36. ^"Athol Williams | Saïd Business School".
  37. ^"UCT Graduate School of Business".www.gsb.uct.ac.za.Retrieved11 June2021.
  38. ^"PROSPER – US Philosophy Department".Retrieved11 June2021.
  39. ^Williams, Athol."OPINION: The need to build a new South Africa for its 57 million inhabitants".News24.Retrieved11 June2021.
  40. ^"SA's poor bear the burden of Covid-19, says Prof Athol Williams".CapeTalk.Retrieved11 June2021.
  41. ^"Picture books: A great way to encourage children to read".The Mail & Guardian.12 December 2018.Retrieved11 June2021.
  42. ^Williams, Athol."Business as usual won't fix youth unemployment, poverty and inequality".Citypress.Retrieved11 June2021.
  43. ^"Six steps for company reparations".www.news.uct.ac.za.Retrieved11 June2021.
  44. ^ab"Criminal justice after corporate corruption is just the beginning".BusinessLIVE.Retrieved11 June2021.
  45. ^Williams, Athol (15 October 2018)."OP-ED: What do we want from Bain?".Daily Maverick.Retrieved11 June2021.
  46. ^"Thought Leader opinion pieces brought to you by the Mail & Guardian".Thought Leader.
  47. ^"Athol Williams, Author at Thought Leader".
  48. ^"Corporate amends: What is enough?".The Mail & Guardian.14 March 2021.Retrieved11 June2021.
  49. ^"Living without chaos".The Big Issue South Africa.25 March 2021.Retrieved11 June2021.
  50. ^Jou naam* (15 February 2012)."AE Ballakisten in conversation with Janet van Eeden".LitNet.Retrieved24 September2018.
  51. ^"theartpress - POETRY BOOKS".theartpress.Retrieved24 September2018.
  52. ^"Fragile".Theart Press.Retrieved11 June2021.
  53. ^Daniels, Nicola."Poetry blows the whistle on state capture, injustice and GBV in SA".www.iol.co.za.
  54. ^"Deep Collusion - Bain and the Capture of South Africa (Paperback)".
  55. ^Guy, Duncan."Join the fight against a 'grave evil' - corruption".
  56. ^"Westridge poet launches autobiography - Plainsman".Plainsman.12 October 2016.Retrieved10 October2017.
  57. ^Williams, Athol (13 October 2016).Pushing Boulders: Oppressed to Inspired(1 ed.). Theart Press.ASINB01M3Q1FNX.
  58. ^"Non-fiction".Athol Williams.Retrieved11 June2021.
  59. ^Oliphant, Porchia (10 September 2015)."Author uses skills to help uplift others"(PDF).Cape Argus.
  60. ^ab"theartpress - CHILDRENS BOOKS".theartpress.Retrieved24 September2018.
  61. ^"UCT academic authors free COVID-19 children's book".www.news.uct.ac.za.Retrieved11 June2021.
  62. ^"New free to download picture book helps children understand COVID-19".TimesLIVE.Retrieved11 June2021.
  63. ^"'Oaky and the Virus' new book teaching children about the lockdown, virus ".Good Things Guy.21 April 2020.Retrieved11 June2021.
  64. ^"'Oaky and the Virus' a New Book Teaching Children About COVID-19 ".Inside Education.2 May 2020.Retrieved11 June2021.
  65. ^"Free books to help children understand COVID-19".ECR.Retrieved11 June2021.
  66. ^Donna Slater (17 April 2020)."Children's author, publisher make Covid-19-awareness book available for free".Engineeringnews.co.za.Retrieved19 October2021.
  67. ^"Oaky in the Playground".Theart Press.
  68. ^"Dr Athol Williams".
  69. ^"2024 - Highest honour from an Oxford college for Witsie - Wits University".
  70. ^"Ethics scholar Athol Williams made Honorary Fellow at University of Oxford's Hertford College | Saïd Business School".3 July 2024.
  71. ^Wolf, Raphael (15 December 2015)."Mitchells Plain academic wins top poetry prize".IOL.Archived fromthe originalon 22 December 2015.Retrieved15 December2015.
  72. ^"2016 Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award announced - a second win for Athol Williams".Jacana @ Sunday Times Books LIVE.Retrieved10 October2017.
  73. ^"Radcliffe Science Library | Poetry competition 2016".www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk.Retrieved10 October2017.
  74. ^Africa, PEN South."South African Independent Publishers | PEN South Africa".Retrieved11 June2021.
  75. ^"Info"(PDF).www.westerncape.gov.za.Retrieved19 October2021.
  76. ^"Athol Williams (South Africa) 2022 SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD".
  77. ^"AWARDS-The South African Chamber of Commerce".
  78. ^"City of Cape Town Council Address".City of Cape Town.24 August 2023.Retrieved5 September2023.
  79. ^"Cape Town bravery medal a 'rare ray of light', says whistleblower Athol Williams".Independent Online.25 August 2023.
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