President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is making great strides in the fight against corruption and has called on all parts of society to help government ensure that State capture never happens again.
The President was addressing the nation through his weekly newsletter a day after he revealed government’s plans to implement recommendations made in the State Capture Commission report.
“We have made great progress in the fight against State capture, all due to the efforts of the people of South Africa. The path ahead will be challenging, but if we work together in implementing the recommendations of the State Capture Commission, we will succeed in building the society and State we want.
“This moment of renewal is upon us and urges us to restate the vision of our National Development Plan of “a South Africa that has zero tolerance for corruption, in which an empowered citizenry has the confidence and knowledge to hold public and private officials to account and in which leaders hold themselves to high ethical standards, and act with integrity’,” the President said on Monday.
He said although the State Capture Commission showed how corruption had taken root in the State, the reaction of South Africans shows the “nation’s disdain for corruption.
“During four years of public hearings, our nation was saddened, outraged and left in disbelief by testimony of how a criminal network in government, public institutions and private companies had raided State coffers and vandalised institutions of our democracy.
“Amid the depressing testimony, people’s anger at the events that had unfolded and citizens’ demands for consequences, retribution and restoration was a clear signal that South Africans are prepared to fight to preserve their values.
“Upon closer consideration, the process of uncovering crimes against our democracy gave us more reason for hope than despair,” he said.
Added to that, President Ramaphosa assured the public that the law is catching up with those who corruptly benefitted from State coffers.
“Almost daily now, we read reports of people being arrested and appearing in court on charges related to State capture. We read about misappropriated assets being frozen and property being seized. The scenes that are unfolding in our courts today are because investigators and prosecutors are living up their professional obligations and the expectations of the nation they serve.
“While we prosecute state capture suspects and recover stolen funds, what is required on the part of all South Africans is our conscious, daily examination of our own values, beliefs and behaviours and the motives and actions of others,” he said.
The President is calling on all parts of society to come together and ensure that the corruption that milked the state of its resources never happens again.
“The recently established National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council will play an important part in mobilising all sectors of our society towards the attainment of a country defined by integrity, honesty and accountability.
“Following the submission of our response to the State Capture Commission, government is poised to work with social partners and communities on this great undertaking, which will be passed on from generation to generation into our future,” he said.