Business calls for immediate judicial probe into State Capture

Organised business has called for the immediate appointment of a credible‚ independent judicial inquiry into all aspects of the State of Capture Report and says it supports the mobilisation of a broad civil society alliance against State Capture.

In a submission to the SACP-convened National Imbizo in Boksburg‚ organised business - represented by Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) - said it rejected what is happening to the country’s democracy as well as allowing the present situation to become “the new normal”.

It noted “with grave concern” that the country and democracy had been put up for sale‚ adding that a “Shadow State” serving the interests of “a small kleptocratic elite is in the advanced stages of the systematic capture of our ‘Democratic State’”.

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“Our democratic state institutions at all levels have been hollowed. The Constitution is continuously being subverted. Our economy is stagnating and we risk decline‚ with devastating social consequences.

“Our economy excludes millions of South Africans who can’t find work‚ the level of inequality is unacceptably high‚ many of our people live in abject poverty and we have not succeeded in deracialising our economy‚” the business organisations noted.

They added that organised business supported seeking an agreement on how SA could achieve sustained levels of higher economic growth while distributing the benefits among all South Africans‚ as quickly as possible eradicating unemployment‚ poverty and racial and gender income inequality.

The organisations said it was not the place of business to call on the President to resign. That was a matter for the ANC and its alliance partners and for Parliament.

• Langebaan residents plan beach protest in bid to sink lagoon aquaculture planResidents of Langebaan objecting to a massive planned aquaculture project for the Langebaan lagoon are to stage a protest on Sunday at the town’s main beach. 

“We are not party political‚ we are not anti-ANC‚ we are not interested in regime change‚ or internal ANC factional battles. Business requires political stability‚ and this requires a strong ANC and Alliance.

“We are patriots and are ready and willing to play our role in building the progressive vision for the country envisaged in the Constitution.

“We can only achieve South Africa’s potential if the state‚ business‚ labour and civil society work hand-in-hand‚” the organisations stated in their submission.

They said organised business stood for a South Africa where the “Constitution is the foundation of our society‚ polity and economy; a society where the Constitution is respected‚ our state and Chapter 9 institutions are independent from external influence‚ and the rule of law is respected and prevails”.

They added that an inclusive economy could only be built on the foundation of a thriving business sector. “You can’t be ‘pro-poor and anti-business’.”

• Joburg inner city residents win their battle against evictionThe Johannesburg High Court has set aside an eviction order granted against 84 men‚ women and children living at 8 O’Reilly Street‚ Hillbrow‚ in Johannesburg’s inner city‚ the Socio-economic Rights Institute (SERI) said. 

The business organisations said they would support a resolution that no further work is done with respect to the nuclear programme until there is an updated‚ least-cost IRP16 which is affordable and broadly accepted by all stakeholders.

They also supported a call for the dissolution of the Eskom Board‚ the appointment of a new credible‚ respected and non-partisan board led by an experienced chairperson‚ and the appointment of a new CEO and executive management.

“Although Eskom is the top priority‚ this process must be quickly followed by resolving the governance‚ management and financial challenges of SAA‚ Denel and the SABC‚” they added.