Fight private sector corruption with equal vigour, says Ramaphosa as SA 'turns tide against corruption'

“The arm of the law is long. Those who have stolen from the state may believe they got away with it, but their deeds will eventually catch up with them, whoever they are and whatever position they may hold.” 

This was the stern warning issued by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday to those who have stolen from the state. 

Writing in his weekly newsletter, the president warned that such perpetrators would soon learn crime does not pay. 

He made the remarks after embarking on his first presidential imbizo in the North West at the weekend, where several citizens raised concerns about the slow pace in the fight against corruption. 

“They told me what I have heard in many other communities across the country: that the perpetrators of such acts are known, not least because they flaunt the proceeds of their crimes,” he said.

Ramaphosa took a swipe at private sector corruption, which he said must be fought with “equal vigour because for every public sector employee willing to be bribed, there is a business person willing to pay a bribe”. 

This was important because such corruption had eroded the capacity of the state to deliver on its mandate and set back efforts to provide decent healthcare, deliver clean water and ensure a consistent supply of power to communities and businesses, the president said.

Ramaphosa cited the establishment of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) alongside the Special Tribunal in 2019 as one of the country’s most effective weapons in the corruption fight. 

The unit can request preservation orders and the freezing of assets to prevent further losses to the state, an important step targeting perpetrators who often go out of their way to hide, move and dispose of proceeds of corruption, according to Ramaphosa.

“This approach has made it possible for public funds and state assets lost to corrupt acts to be recovered faster, avoiding delays in the high courts, where the SIU has to wait its turn with other litigants.

“There can be no doubt the Special Tribunal has been a game changer. Since its establishment, the tribunal has recovered around R8.6bn from unlawful contracts.”

Last week the tribunal ordered two construction companies to return the profits they earned from R40m in contracts to erect the Beitbridge border fence. Recently, it reviewed and set aside more than R100m worth of irregular and unlawful contracts arising from procurement related to Covid-19.

“The cases before the Special Tribunal show much work needs to be done to strengthen governance and management across all arms of the state. They point to serious lapses on the part of accounting officers and failures to adhere to laws and regulations governing procurement.

“I have said before that winning the war on corruption will be difficult, and that it will take time to unravel the vast webs of patronage that had become entrenched.”

The president said it was not enough for perpetrators to be prosecuted and it was more important for the proceeds of crime to be recovered as the money belonged to citizens.

“As the Special Tribunal has demonstrated, we are steadily turning the tide. Not only are perpetrators being arrested and taken to court, they are also having to forfeit the proceeds of their crimes.

“There is a long way to go and there is a huge amount of stolen public funds that need to be recovered. But the SIU and the Special Tribunal have made a good start, and I am confident of many more successes in the months and years ahead.”

TimesLIVE