Cape Town- The two reports of the Zondo Commission into state capture make it clear that government was infiltrated by a “criminal network” that was looting the public purse, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
Delivering his sixth State of the Nation Address for the first time at the Cape Town City Hall, Ramaphosa detailed the devastating effects of the criminal activity that happened at state-owned enterprises such as SAA, Transnet, Denel, South African Revenue Service and Government Communications.
Ramaphosa said the country was involved in the battle for the soul of the country.
“While the definitive conclusion has yet to be delivered at the end of this month, the first two parts of the report make it plain that there was indeed ‘state capture’,” he said.
“Many individuals and companies that the Commission has found were responsible for state capture must now be held to account. This means that public institutions and state-owned enterprises were infiltrated by a criminal network intent on looting public money for private gain,” he said.
Ramaphosa said he had confidence that the National Prosecuting Authority will carry out the further investigations that the commission has recommended and bring the members of the criminal network that infiltrated government and captured the state swiftly to justice.
A new head of the Investigating Directorate following the departure of Advocate Hermione Cronje would be appointed.
“We are standing together against corruption and to ensure that those who are responsible for state capture are punished for their crimes,” he said.
Ramaphosa said state capture had a direct and negative impact on the lives of all South Africans, especially the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society.
The project to loot the state had weakened the ability of the state to deliver services and to meet the expectations and constitutional rights of people.
“We must now do everything in our power to ensure that it never happens again. My responsibility is to ensure that the Commission report is properly and carefully considered and then acted upon,” he said.
Ramaphosa said by no later than 30 June he would present a plan of action in response to the commission’s recommendations.
Government would also use the reports’ recommendations to strengthen the system to protect whistle-blowers, who are a vital safeguard in the fight against corruption and who take huge personal risk in reporting wrongdoing, the president said.
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