President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in his weekly newsletter, called on all of society to work together with government to honour the legacy of outgoing Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Chief Justice Zondo is expected to retire at the end of August following an illustrious 27-year career on the judicial bench which included heading up the pivotal State Capture Commission.
“Through the work of the commission, which Judge Zondo led with diligence and integrity, the country came to understand what happened during the era of state capture. There were revelations on who was involved. We saw what effect state capture had on our state, economy and society. It was a huge undertaking, involving more than 400 days of hearings, over 300 witnesses and more than 1.7 million pages of documentary evidence.
“Chief Justice Raymond Zondo can retire from office knowing that he has done his country an invaluable service. It is now our responsibility as a society to work together to give effect to his legacy and to build a fairer, just and ethical nation,” the President said.
Following the end of life of the commission, known as the Zondo Commission, recommendations and findings were made.
These findings, according to the President, will “define the course of public affairs in South Africa for many years to come”.
“[We] have been hard at work to implement its recommendations. Not only have we worked to hold those responsible for state capture to account and to recover stolen funds, but we have also put in place laws, institutions and practices to ensure that state capture never happens again. We continue to take steps to prevent, detect and act against corruption,” he said.
Tightening the screws
Over the course of the last few months, President Ramaphosa has assented to several pieces of legislation which respond to the Chief Justice’s recommendations emanating from the State Capture Commission report.
The President insisted that these will “fundamentally change the way government works”.
“The Public Procurement Act is one such law. It recognises the assertion by Judge Zondo that corruption in procurement was “the centrepiece of state capture”. Among other things, the law prohibits any person from trying to interfere with or influence procurement. Suppliers who abuse the system are debarred from participating in future procurement processes. Certain categories of people – mainly public office bearers and people who work for the state – may not do business with the state.
“Another law is the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Act, which establishes the Investigating Directorate against Corruption. The Directorate will be a permanent, prosecution-led agency with full criminal investigative powers. It will be able to recruit and retain specialist skills and develop capabilities such as the collection and analysis of digital evidence.
“The Electoral Matters Amendment Act, which was signed into law in May, amended the Political Party Act to make it a criminal offence to make donations to gain political influence or favour. [The] Companies Second Amendment Act strengthens actions against delinquent directors or company officers for wrongdoing,” he said.
Other draft legislation which is aimed at preventing undue political interference is currently being considered by Parliament.
Wheels of justice
President Ramaphosa said not only is the law being strengthened, but alleged wrongdoers that were exposed at the Zondo Commission are being taken to task by law enforcement.
“As we strengthen our efforts to prevent and combat corruption, in line with the recommendations of the state capture commission, our law enforcement agencies have been undertaking investigations recommended by the commission against alleged perpetrators.
“The state has secured nearly R10 billion in forfeiture orders and settlement agreements linked to State Capture cases. In addition, preservation and restraint orders to the value of R17 billion have been granted while court processes are underway,” the President said.
He vowed that government will do more to bring perpetrators to book while reforming the economy.
“All of this work demonstrates that the recommendations of the State Capture Commission are being steadily and thoroughly implemented across government.
“But there is much more to do. Not only do we need to complete the reforms we have embarked on and ensure that all perpetrators are brought to book, but we need to continuously work to build a society in which corruption no longer has any place,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
