SA has capacity to deal with corruption: President

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country has sufficient law enforcement agencies to deal with corruption.

The President said this when he fielded oral questions from members of the National Assembly during a hybrid question and answer session on Thursday.

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) chief whip Narend Singh had asked President Ramaphosa if the billions of rands allocated for government spending in response to COVID-19 presented an opportunity for corruption and criminal elements, and whether he saw it important to establish a new Chapter 9 institution to deal with grand scale corruption.

“There are sufficient law enforcement agencies to deal with incidents of corruption.

“These include institutions like the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in the SA Police Service (SAPS) and the Special Investigating Unit,” he said.

The President said the Office of the Auditor General and the Financial Intelligence Centre also play important roles in detecting instances of corruption.

The office of the Auditor General will be taking additional measures, including proactive auditing, to ensure the proper use of COVID-19 funding.

“We have also established the NPA’s Investigating Directorate to focus on corruption cases arising from the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and other commissions.

“We also have a progressive legislative framework for addressing the escalating number of investigations, prosecution and trial of serious forms of corruption.”

This, the President said, includes the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.

“I am advised that the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster is undertaking work to revamp the criminal justice system, which will include the strengthening of the governance arrangements, intelligence-driven and prosecution-led investigations and mechanisms for the recovery of ill-gotten proceeds.

“We therefore take the view that the establishment of a new independent Chapter 9 institution to focus on grand corruption may not be necessary at this stage.

“However, we should continue to consider all available options to ensure that we eradicate corruption across society,” said the President.