APA-Pretoria (South Africa) South Africa’s Chief Justice Raymond Nyondo has accused parliament of failing to pass laws that would stop state capture (high-level corruption) from happening again.
Zondo, who chaired the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, told a seminar at the Human Sciences Research Council on Thursday that, even if another episode of state capture were to take place, parliament would not be able to stop it.
He accused parliament of failing to implement some of the commission’s recommendations after President Cyril Ramaphosa handed to the National Assembly the final report by his probe team as well as the president’s own recommendations.
Zondo also called for the establishment of a permanent State Capture Commission office which would summon any wrong doer – whether it be a president, minister, lawmaker or any public official – to question the person before things got out hand.
These comments, however, did not go down well with the authorities at Parliament.
They hit back at the former chairperson of the State Capture Commission, saying his remarks criticising parliament undermined the principles of the separation of powers.
“Parliament expresses shock and strong objection to the remarks made by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, former head of the judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture, about parliament,” Parliament’s spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, said.
Mothapo said it was inappropriate for the chief justice, representing one of the arms of the state, to engage in public attacks on Parliament.
NM/jn/APA