Thuli Madonsela: The real sell-outs of our time are those responsible for state capture

04 April 2022 - 09:06
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Former public protector Thuli Madonsela says the real sell-outs in our country are those responsible for 'greedy looting of public funds and evasion of accountability through courts and chapter 9 institutions'. File photo.
Former public protector Thuli Madonsela says the real sell-outs in our country are those responsible for 'greedy looting of public funds and evasion of accountability through courts and chapter 9 institutions'. File photo.
Image: Esa Alexander

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela got tongues wagging with her recent comments about “sell-outs”. 

Madonsela said the sell-outs of “our time” were responsible for state capture.

“An epiphany I just had is that the real sell-outs of our time are those responsible for state capture and repurposing of institutions and processes of our hard-won democracy, for greedy looting of public funds and evasion of accountability through courts and chapter 9 institutions,” said Madonsela. 

Madonsela was appointed public protector in 2009, and her “state of capture” report in 2016 led to the establishment of the state capture inquiry in 2018.

Her report investigated former president Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family. This followed Zuma’s withdrawal of his application for an interdict preventing its release, and an order of the Pretoria high court ordering its release.

Speaking on the DA online show The Inside Track earlier this year, Madonsela said state capture’s roots were not cadre deployment but hijacking.

“Some of your colleagues have referred to cadre deployment as a major problem. My preliminary conclusion as a public protector was that what we had seen was not cadre deployment but hijack,” she said.

“If you look at China as a country, it has cadre deployment. What does that mean? It means they deploy the best in their party, people who have been trained in state craft, the best of them. That’s why China has become a global giant. It’s because of cadre deployment.”

Madonsela said she is neither for nor against cadre deployment.

“ State capture was about the family of [former] president Zuma having gone into business with the Gupta family, and the power given to Zuma by the people of SA being hijacked and repurposed to advance the business interests of these two families,” said Madonsela. 

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.