Reading Time: 2 minutes
President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the South African Judiciary for refusing to be captured. He says the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Police and other law enforcement agencies were hollowed out during the years of State Capture.
Ramaphosa was addressing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Dialogue in Boksburg on Wednesday.
Corruption has become systemic in South Africa. This is evidenced by the findings and recommendations of the State Capture Commission of Inquiry.
The President put together the National Anti-Corruption Council to advise the government on how to tackle the scourge of corruption.
President Ramaphosa says as South Africa will be commemorating 30 years of Democracy, the nation must look back at the positives but also the negatives of corruption.
“We will also look at where we have fallen short on corruption. Economic growth is stifled and businesses suffer in the public and private sectors. corruption has wounded our democracy and shaken the faith of the people. funds are stolen and jobs are lost.”
The President told delegates that R5 billion has already been returned to the State by the Assert Forfeiture Unit from those who stole it during the State Capture period while R14 billion must still be recovered.
Ramaphosa says the NPA was hollowed out and Advocate Shamila Batohi is trying to rebuild the entity.
“The NPA had been hollowed out, the NPA had been captured and people hounded out. the judiciary had not been captured. We are proud to have a judiciary that is not captured and refuses to be captured. Advocate Batohi has been rebuilding the NPA, she found the place hollowed out. We must go deeper. It is now just over a year since the government’s response to the State Capture Commission and I get accused in Parliament of not doing anything about corruption.”
The Head of State lauded the Judiciary for standing tall and refusing to be captured by those who wanted to derail the South African Democratic project. – Reporting by Samkele Maseko
