ANC top brass implicated in State of Capture report should be probed by the party's integrity commission

16 January 2017 - 14:55 By Aphiwe Deklerk
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President Jacob Zuma. File photo.
President Jacob Zuma. File photo.
Image: ESA ALEXANDER/THE TIMES

The ANC in the Western Cape wants all party leaders implicated in the public protector’s State of Capture report‚ including President Jacob Zuma‚ to be probed by its integrity commission.

This was one of the resolutions made when the party's provincial executive committee met on Friday.

Before leaving office‚ former public protector Thuli Madonsela released her report into allegations of state capture. It exposed links between Zuma‚ some of his ministers and former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe with the Gupta family.

Madonsela then recommended the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the allegations contained in the report‚ but she stated that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng should appoint the judge to chair the commission.

Zuma has taken her recommendation on review.

ANC Western Cape acting provincial chairman Khaya Magaxa said at a briefing on Monday that all of those implicated - such as Zuma‚ Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des Van Rooyen - should present themselves before the integrity commission.

Zuma met with the commission late last year to review the state and health of the party‚ according to ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa.

Said Magaxa: “We would like everybody that has been mentioned in that report to actually undergo a process of the integrity commission. The integrity commission must invite anybody who has been announced to have been affected by that report.”

He said the process should not be a witch-hunt‚ but a means for “comrades” to explain themselves despite the report currently being under review.

Asked if the province’s call included Zuma‚ Magaxa said they were not pointing a finger at individuals but all of those implicated‚ regardless of leadership position‚ should explain themselves.

The party had raised concern with the “corporate capture” of the ANC which Magaxa said had the capacity to undermine the party’s independence.

During the press conference‚ the party also condemned abuse of state machinery “to settle political scores”.

“We condemned the politicisation of law enforcement agencies… the PEC (provincial executive committee) is of the view that the prosecution (and subsequent withdrawal thereof) of comrade Pravin Gordhan cannot be seen outside the larger context of corporate capture of the state‚” said Magaxa. – TMG Digital/The Times

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