Johannesburg - The official opposition says the latest report of the State Capture Commission has further exposed the extent of state capture under ANC rule. Once again, numerous ANC leaders and the party itself have been implicated in the scourge of State capture.
Notable examples of implicated officials include:
Gwede Mantashe, who the report recommends be investigated for ‘the offence of corruption’ after he was provided with ‘free’ security upgrades at his personal properties;
Cedrick Frolick, who allegedly facilitated the unlawful awarding of tenders; and
Jacob Zuma, who was found to have violated the Constitution, and the report recommends he be investigated for potential criminal prosecution.
DA spokesperson on justice, Glynnis Breytenbach, said while the DA welcomes these findings, South Africans have long known the extent of corruption in society.
“What they want to see now is action, with implicated persons swiftly prosecuted and placed behind bars. Unfortunately, many South Africans have begun to lose hope that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is up to this task.
“There has been a complete failure by the NPA to prosecute high-level corruption cases. The institution appears so hollowed out that it has lost the capability of tackling the case load that now sits before it,” Breytenbach said.
She said South Africans need to see action, and the DA intends to play its role by ensuring that justice would be brought to bear on all those responsible for state capture.
“We will be going beyond mere talk and will be tabling a raft of private members bills before Parliament this year. These bills will be aimed at addressing the scourge of state capture once and for all,” she said.
Breytenbach said the DA would be accelerating the introduction of their Anti-Corruption Commission Private Members Bill, which seeks to establish a brand-new Chapter Nine institution.
“This Commission will be tasked with the function of prosecuting high-level corruption cases, and unlike the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), will be completely independent.
“The establishment of this commission will expedite the prosecution of complex high-level corruption cases and alleviate some of the burden on our strained NPA,” she said.
baldwin.ndaba@inl.co.za
Political Bureau