Zondo report underlines importance of corruption to ANC and government

We have to say this again: President Ramaphosa should act immediately against those implicated in the Zondo report and who still hold senior positions in the executive and the government. The time to put the country ahead of the ANC is long overdue.

There is more than enough evidence to take action, starting with firing from the Cabinet ministers such as Gwede Mantashe.

The third Zondo report focuses on Bosasa’s corrupt dealings with the ANC and government, reminding us of what we heard during the evidence and emphasising this with strong recommendations for criminal investigation into corruption charges against a range of players, including Jacob Zuma, Mantashe, Dudu Myeni and Nomvula Mokonyane. Zondo found that corruption was central to Bosasa’s business model.

OUTA believes that this report, and the earlier Zondo reports, show unequivocally that the ANC is corrupt to the core and could not survive politically or financially without the dirty money extracted through government tenders. This government cannot separate itself from the party: the same core of rottenness infects it, with some of party officials central to the corruption still holding powerful positions in government.

The report also mentions the Bosasa funding to President Ramaphosa’s election campaign through his son Andile, but makes no adverse findings against the President; however, we note how far these tentacles stretched.

“South Africans should be furious to see how our money was spent,” says Rudie Heyneke, OUTA’s Portfolio Manager for State Capture.

And how shameful it is that those politicians and officials were sometimes bought for such trivia: birthday parties, alcohol, designer handbags, home security systems. 

“State capture appears in different forms and shapes. It was not all about the Guptas, it was all about greed, power and money,” says Heyneke.

“The ANC survived financially with the help of companies like Bosasa and EOH, in return for huge tenders. This report shows us that certain members of the executive, MPs and senior government officials are corrupt to the bone. They should be permanently barred from any public positions and from any contracts with government.”

The Zondo report shows how state capture appears in different shapes and forms, and how a private business like Bosasa built corruption into its business model and captured the executive, party bosses, senior government officials and MPs.

It also reminds us that the National Prosecuting Authority failed us by not prosecuting Bosasa for 10 years despite evidence from the SIU report.

OUTA calls for the following:

• Immediate action to remove the corrupt from positions of power, starting with firing implicated Cabinet ministers.

• Parliament’s Ethics Committee should take action against implicated MPs, particularly those who hold powerful positions as committee chairs.

• Absolute transparency on all procurement processes.

• Thorough due diligence on government suppliers.

• The National Treasury must refuse to do business with implicated businesses and individuals.

• The setting up of an Integrity and Ethics database, to record those individuals and businesses linked to corrupt activities, to block them from public positions.

• The removal of such suppliers from the National Treasury’s supplier database.

• Isolation of implicated individuals and companies with South Africans refraining from doing business with them.

• The prosecution of those identified by Zondo.

• Encouragement to the public to report any wrongdoing and suspected criminal activities.

• Protection and aid for whistleblowers.

Soundclip

A soundclip with comment by OUTA's Rudie Heyneke is here.