Johannesburg – After four years, 400 days of hearings and, over 300 witnesses, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture headed by Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has found that there was indeed state capture.
Zondo handed over the first part of the report to the president on Tuesday afternoon.
Here are the main political bigwigs implicated of wrongdoing:
Former President Jacob Zuma
The commission found that the former president was involved in plotting with the private sector to water down Sars’ ability to function optimally.
In the report, Zondo says the former president advanced the interests of the Guptas at the expense of the South African people. As a result, the report found this to be a calculating and deliberate act.
South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni
Myeni and her acolytes have been found to have caused “sustained damage to our national airline”.
The inquiry found that Myeni ruled with an iron fist which led to the ultimate collapse of governance at the national carrier and widespread corruption.
The commission’s probe found that all board members and members of management at SAA who opposed Myeni were dealt with severely.
Former Transnet CEO Brian Molefe, Eskom CEO Colin Matjila and Tony Gupta
The commission recommends that the trio be prosecuted by the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) for fraud and contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) for his role in facilitating irregular contracts between Gupta-owned The New Age (TNA) and the parastatal.
Furthermore, the probe revealed that the contracts concluded between TNA and Transnet, Eskom and SAA were not only sporadic but inefficient, too.
In addition, the findings also suggested that Molefe’s efforts to justify millions of rands of state funds being irregularly spent on advertisements in TNA were not sound.
Former minister of Finance, Malusi Gigaba and henchman Siyabonga Mahlangu
The report finds that the duo interfered in operational matters and decisions that led to the decline of the once-mighty SAA and Eskom.
As a result, the commission suggested that Gigaba’s evidence that he would not have been involved in operational matters be rejected.
“Mr Gigaba was prepared to do wrong for the Guptas or Mr. Zuma. A number of incidents can be pointed out in support of this.
“His role in the process that led to the indefensible reinstatement of Mr. Siyabonga Gama as CEO of TFR at Transnet, his role in the appointment of Mr. Brian Molefe as Group CEO of Transnet in circumstances where, by his own admission, he was a friend of the Guptas and, by Mr. Brian Molefe’s own admission, too, he (ie Mr. Brian Molefe) was a friend of the Guptas and he (that is Mr. Gigaba) overlooked a better candidate, Dr. Mandla Gantsho, who had scored higher points in the interview than Mr. Molefe and decided to appoint another friend of the Guptas.
“Mr. Pretorius testified that this response from Mr. Gigaba was false. He explained that Mr. Gigaba had interfered in Eskom’s operations on many occasions. He stated that there would be no reason why Mr. Dames or Mr. Choeu would instruct him to enter into these contracts without instruction,” the report read.
Tom Moyane
In the report, Zondo recommends prosecution on a charge of perjury against Moyane for lying to Parliament.
The report found that law enforcement agencies should investigate with a view to enabling the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to decide whether to prosecute in connection with the awarding of lucrative contracts to consultancy, Bain & Co.
The report also confirmed the US consultancy Bain & Co’s “unlawful” action at SARS. It noted that the ANC “either did not care or slept on the job or had no clue what to do”.
Former Government Communications Information System (GCIS) CEO and Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi
Although Manyi has already denied these allegations, he was labeled as an ‘enabler’ of state capture during his tenure as GCIS CEO when he splashed millions of rands worth of advertising to the Gupta Owned newspaper, The New Age (TNA).
He says the state capture report is “absolute rubbish” and denies his involvement in the making of final decisions.
The Gupta family
According to the probe report on corruption, the Gupta family along with the former president is accused of appropriating public funds including diverting millions of rands to enrich the now-defunct TNA newspaper, during Zuma’s tenure from 2009 to 2018.
The second part is anticipated to be handed over at the end of January 2022, and the final part at the end of February 2022. Read part one of the state capture report here
Judge Zondo insists that former SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni be charged
Zondo gives whistleblower Athol Williams a glowing tribute
Read part one of the state capture report here
Mzwanele Manyi says state capture report findings is ‘absolute rubbish’
To read more political news and views, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
