Durban — Opposition parties have expressed disappointment in president Cyril Ramaphosa after he addressed the nation on State Capture recommendations on Sunday evening. Ramaphosa, who has been facing criticism since the weekend by former presidents, said the state capture report was an important step to undo corruption.
He said corruption was a betrayal of the country’s democracy and an assault on the institutions that had been established to advance the values of the Constitution and the interests of the people.
To address some of the abuses by private companies, amendments will be made to laws under review to criminalise donations to political parties in expectation of state contracts, to bar suppliers who have engaged in dishonest or corrupt behaviour, and to make failure to prevent bribery an offence.
DA Chief Whip Siviwe Gwarube said that much of what the president said was existing work that was already being done by law enforcement agencies.
Nothing was said about bolstering their capacity to do the kind of investigative work needed to prosecute those who plundered public money.
“The president completely avoided making any announcements about Cabinet ministers who have been implicated in state capture and how he will be holding them to account. This is firmly within his mandate and yet he made a vague mention about looking into this. The reality is that roughly R1 billion and six years have been spent on this commission, yet little action will be taken,” said Gwarube.
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisasaid he feared that the commitments made by Ramaphosa in relation to dealing with the perpetrators and enablers of state capture and corruption were merely empty promises.
EFF leader Julius Malema said the only address Ramaphosa needed to make is that of his resignation.
He said: “The thundering silence from the SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority on the Phala Phala case glares of state capture.”
The NPA welcomed Ramaphosa’s state capture recommendation.
“However, if we want to ensure a better life for all, it is equally important to put in place measures which minimise the risk of South Africans ever again facing the calamity of state capture,” it said.
Daily News
