Global players like international banks, corporations and governments facilitated corruption under former President Jacob Zuma in South Africa, a British lawmaker told the on-going state capture inquiry on Monday.
According to British lawmaker Peter Hain, these global players have the moral obligation to assist South Africa recover the billions they allegedly helped launder through their institutions and governments.
Speaking to the Zondo commission of inquiry meeting in Johannesburg, Hain cited global banks and governments in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Dubai and India for allegedly playing leading roles in laundering the funds that the controversial Gupta brothers are said to have stolen from South Africa into their personal off-shore accounts.
Zuma, who was removed as president last year over corruption allegations, has dismissed the probe as prejudiced against him and his family. He and his son Duduzane have also appeared before Judge Zondo, and denied any involvement in corruption.
Part of the Zondo commission’s mandate is to investigate accusations that the three Indian-born brothers, Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta, influenced Zuma over political appointments and state contracts in order to use the appointees to grant then lucrative business deals in state-owned enterprises like the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa and power utility Eskom.
Zuma has described the Indians as his “family friends” who came to his rescue to employ Duduzane when nobody in South Africa offered him a job due to his connection to his father-president.
There has been no response yet from the officials in UK, Hong Kong, Dubai and India to Hain’s charges against them at the Zondo Commission.
NM/jn/APA