CAPE TOWN, June 14 (ANA) – The authenticity of allegations of the capture of South Africa’s state-owned enterprises should be urgently probed by a “competent body” and if found to be true, people should be punished, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.
Replying to questions in the National Assembly, Ramaphosa said an inquiry had the support of everybody, “from the president down”, and would allow the guilty to be brought to book and the innocent to clear their names.
“The veracity of the claims need to be established. Where crime has been committed, those responsible must be prosecuted and be brought to book.”
Ramaphosa said President Jacob Zuma was speaking to his lawyers about a proposal, which has found favour with many within the ruling party and its alliance partners.
“President Jacob Zuma has the power to establish such a commission in terms of Section 84 (f) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and he has indicated that he’s not opposed to the establishment of a commission of inquiry and as we speak now, he’s in the process of consulting his legal advisers to find ways of giving effect to this proposal,” said Ramaphosa.
“The allegations are clearly a matter of grave concern to many South Africans. State capture, it can be said in whatever form it takes, is abhorrent and is something we all as South Africans should not, and cannot, be tolerated.”
The National Executive Committee of the ANC at the end of May said it backed the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to probe widespread allegations that business is exercising undue influence over the State.
Zuma has denied opposing a probe but is challenging former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on state capture in court. Madonsela directed that a commission of inquiry be established and headed by a judge appointed by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
The president is on record as saying that he is only opposed to her remedial action because under the Constitution, only he has the authority to convene a judicial commission.
Zuma argued in court papers this week that implementing Madonsela’s directive pending the outcome of the review, would render the latter academic.
Ramaphosa sought to answer ANC MP Mondli Gungubele, who asked what guarantee South Africans had that the inquiry would not be a hollow “endless” exercise, but credible and as swift as possible.
It was necessary to allow South Africans to put a bad chapter behind them and proceed with building the country.
In apparent reference to the Gupta leaks, Ramaphosa conceded that a steady drip of reports in recent weeks have harmed the country.
“The ongoing revelations of allegations of corporate capture of public institutions…have undoubtedly and understandably undermined public confidence in our country, our country’s leaders and our institutions. That we have to admit and that has tended to erode confidence, that too we have to admit,” he said.
In addition to the leaked trove of emails of Gupta associates, the Economic Freedom Fighters this week released documentation proving Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba had used his power as home affairs minister in 2015 to grant members of the Indian-born family citizenship.
Gigaba confirmed the authenticity of the documents showing he had overturned a decision by a senior official not to grant the Guptas early naturalisation because they did not qualify for South African citizenship at the time. The minister denied his actions were unlawful, saying his previous post allowed him to intervene in citizenship matters where warranted.
It made him the second minister to acknowledge the authenticity of information in leaked documents and emails, thereby lending these credibility.
– African News Agency (ANA)
