South Africa’s opposition on Friday welcomed the United States’ authorities action to place the Gupta family on the sanctions list for their glaring role in state capture in the Rainbow Nation in the past decade.
“It’s a welcome development. It is now for our local authorities to take action” against brothers Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, Democratic Alliance spokesperson Solly Malatsi said on Friday.
Another South African opposition, Congress of the People (COPE), used the opportunity to criticise the ruling African National Congress, saying it was a “disgrace” that the US government was taking action against the Guptas while “South Africa fails to move an inch.”
Calling on the country’s criminal justice system to follow in Washington’s footsteps, COPE said: “We can’t leave it to outsiders. We must lead by example to show that the people of South Africa hate corruption and that nobody is above the law.”
Responding to the developments, South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said the US was just one of the many countries that Pretoria’s law enforcement agencies had approached for legal assistance to apprehend the Guptas who skipped the count for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as soon as former President Jacob Zuma fell from grace.
“I welcome the collaborative efforts by the US government in our country’s fight against corruption,” he said.
“The interest of justice must not be shackled by any boundary or border and justice must be seen to be done without fear or favour,” Lamola said.
In its Thursday announcement, the US government said it had blacklisted the controversial India-born brothers who Zuma – under whom they flourished — proudly told the world that the Indians were his family friends.
NM/jn/APA