Released on Wednesday, 6 March, the Civil Society Working Group on State Capture looks at the role of commissions of inquiry in our society; the successes of the Zondo Commission; the gaps or challenges experienced by the commission; and some of the lessons learnt.
Illustrative image | Sources: President Cyril Ramaphosa receives Part 1 of the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture at the Union Buildings from the Commission’s Chairperson, acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on 4 January 2022. | Former president Jacob Zuma. | Atul Gupta. | Ajay Gupta. | Former finance minister Des van Rooyen. | Former finance minister Malusi Gigaba.
“The exhaustive and far-reaching focus of the commission means that its report provides a fairly comprehensive account of State Capture and the patterns of corrupt activity that took place at various state-owned enterprises and state institutions,” says theThe Zondo Commission also illustrated that the patterns of corruption were not isolated to relationships within the state, but also extended to include relationships between the state and the private sector as well.
The commission also played a key role in ensuring that its proceedings were accessible to the media and open to contributions from civil society. In future commissions, if the scope of inquiry is as wide-ranging as the Zondo Commission, the best approach could be to tackle one stream of evidence at a time, conclude that stream, and timeously provide interim reports.
“There was a disproportionate allocation of time for some witnesses and evidence streams, at the expense of others. While the commission summoned and grilled numerous politicians and public officials in this way, it did not do the same for the numerous chief executive officers of large private companies implicated in State Capture,” the report said.
“This was a missed opportunity in two ways. First, it failed to deliver an initial factual basis for law enforcement that could inform investigations and/or prosecutions against financial institutions and those who run them. The commission made virtually no recommendations on the criminal justice system, despite its finding that State Capture was facilitated by an effort to subvert and weaken law enforcement and intelligence agencies for illicit activities.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Anele Zondo and Businessman Lebo Gunguluza Allegedly Break Up After a Year of DatingSouth African musician Anele Zondo and businessman Lebo Gunguluza have reportedly broken up after a year of dating. The two started dating after Lebo's divorce.
Read more »
President Ramaphosa defends appointment of Chief Justice Zondo despite low votesPresident Cyril Ramaphosa defends his decision to appoint Raymond Zondo as Chief Justice despite him securing the least number of votes during the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) interview process.
Read more »
Ramaphosa defends Zondo appointment despite dismal showing in JSC processDocuments submitted by President Cyril Ramaphosa reveal that the Judicial Service Commission ranked Justice Zondo as the least-favoured candidate.
Read more »
National Lotteries Commission a criminal enterprise, SIU's Mothibi tells MPsThe SIU was on Wednesday updating the trade and industry committee on the status of its investigation into the National Lotteries Commission.
Read more »
Former Spokesperson and Head of Risk Implicated in National Lotteries Commission Grant InvestigationFormer Spokeperson Hangwani Mulaudzi and former Head of Risk at the National Lotteries Commission Marubini Ramatsekisa are both named in a dossier handed to prosecutors. The Hawks have completed an investigation into a multimillion-rand National Lotteries Commission (NLC) grant made to a foundation controlled by a former high-ranking police officer. The dossier and its findings have been handed to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The investigation focused on former Hawks national spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi, his wife, Rudzani, and a “consultant” allegedly involved in helping launder money misappropriated from the grant. The Hawks also investigated the role played by Marubini Ramatsekisa, the former NLC Head of Risk, who has been implicated in several other cases of fraud and corruption involving dodgy multimillion-dollar grants. The investigation has been flagged as a priority by both the Hawks and the NPA, a source with knowledge of the investigation told.
Read more »
African Union Commission calls for action on conflicts in the continentThe chair of the African Union Commission (AUC) has called on leaders to tackle conflicts in the continent, and condemned a series of coups in some African countries. Wars in Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo are at the top of the African bloc's agenda. Other key topics include the conflict between Israel and Hamas, poverty, climate change, and education.
Read more »