President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to support the work of the just-ended Commission of Inquiry into State Capture which probed alleged corruption under former president Jacob Zuma’s rule in order to build “a new and ethical society”.
Ramaphosa said this when he delivered the ruling African National Congress’ (ANC) 8 January Statement at the party’s 110th birthday celebrations held in Polokwane in the northern province of Limpopo on Saturday.
The first part of the three-volume report was handed to the president at the Union Buildings (seat of government) by commission chair and acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on Tuesday.
“One of the resolutions of the 54th National Conference was to support the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture,” Ramaphosa said.
“We, therefore, welcome the submission and release of the first part of the Commission’s report – and look forward to the completion of the commission’s work by the end of February 2022,” he told the rally at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in the city.
According to Ramaphosa, “the work of the commission is vital to the national effort to place the era of state capture behind us, and ensure that such events are never allowed to happen again.”
“The ANC will support government in effecting the measures required to eliminate conditions and conduct that enable state capture and systemic corruption,” he added.
He said the ANC would engage its structures “to ensure sufficient understanding of the contents and findings of the commission.”
“We, therefore, call on all South Africans to engage with the commission’s report and to be part of the national effort to put state capture behind us and build an ethical, capable developmental state and a society governed by the values of our democratic constitution and the rule of law,” he said.
NM/jn/APA