Jail those implicated in state capture: Manuel

Former finance minister Trevor Manuel says those implicated in state capture should go to jail.

“People should go to jail because of how they have been covered and how this rot was allowed to continue in the way that it has. The consequences are a break on growth in this country. If we were growing fast‚ we wouldn’t have energy. If the economy is not growing‚ people can’t get jobs‚” Manuel told EWN.

Manuel said KPMG should produce documents to prove how it had arrived at the findings of an investigation into an intelligence unit at the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

His comments come after the auditing firm lost clients for its handling of the accounts of the Gupta family. The firm has been accused of contributing to the family securing multi-billion-rand government contracts with state-owned entities.

The firm's dealings with the Guptas have resulted in major multinational companies discontinuing the retention of its services.

The SARS “rogue unit” report cost the economy billions of rands. It was used in the ousting of finance minister Pravin Gordhan and the attempt to bring criminal charges against him.

The report was commissioned by SARS commissioner Tom Moyane‚ who went on to lay criminal charges against those involved with the “rogue unit”.

• An earlier version of this story, based on an EWN report, incorrectly stated that Trevor Manuel had said those behind the KPMG controversy should go to jail. EWN has since corrected this report. In actual fact, Manuel was replying to a comment on public and private representatives facing consequences, including going to jail. Manuel agreed, saying, "People should go to jail". However, this wasn't only and specifically in relation to KPMG.