POLL | Are your satisfied with the state capture report so far?

05 January 2022 - 12:35
By Kyle Zeeman
President Cyril Ramaphosa receives the first part of the state capture inquiry report from acting chief justice Raymond Zondo.
Image: GCIS President Cyril Ramaphosa receives the first part of the state capture inquiry report from acting chief justice Raymond Zondo.

The first part of the state capture inquiry report was released on Tuesday, sparking debate and reaction across the country.

The report was handed by acting chief justice and chairperson of the inquiry Raymond Zondo to President Cyril Ramaphosa, and runs to more than 870 pages.

It deals with SAA, the Gupta-owned The New Age newspaper, the SA Revenue Service (Sars) and public procurement in SA.

The second part of the report will be handed over at the end of January and the third at the end of February.

Ramaphosa will have until June 30 to go through the documents and findings and submit his recommendations to parliament.

Some described the report’s release as a defining moment in SA’s history and a step forward in the quest to tackle corruption, while others claimed it was full of bias.

Among those implicated in the report are former President Jacob Zuma and former Sars commissioner Tom Moyane for their role in collapsing the tax authority.

It also suggested charges of fraud and corruption be brought against controversial former SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni

Myeni and Yakhe Kwinana, who chaired SAA Technical, were mentioned more than any others in the report as the inquiry laid the blame for the carrier’s demise at their feet.

Their conduct, the report said, led to the collapse of governance and widespread corruption and looting at SAA.

The report raised concerns about Zuma’s part in transferring former Government Communications Information System (GCIS) CEO Mzwanele Manyi from the employment and labour department to the GCIS, where it found he channelled millions of rand from state agencies to the Gupta family’s now defunct The New Age newspaper through unwarranted adverts and sponsorships.

Manyi denied the claims, saying his "real crime is that I am the spokesperson of the most-hated person, Zuma”.