NATIONAL NEWS - As the State Capture Commission prepares to hand over the fifth and final instalment of their report to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Executive Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Neeshan Balton has emphasized that former President Jacob Zuma is not the only one to be blame for state capture.
After almost three and half years and more than R1 billion later, Ramaphosa is expected to officially receive the final report late on Monday.
The report was supposed to be handed to Ramaphosa on 15 June, but due to ‘certain challenges’, the commission was unable to meet the original deadline for the final instalment.
The commission, headed by then Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, wrapped up its work on Sunday night and sent it to Ramaphosa electronically.
Balton said the Gupta’s were the biggest instigators of state capture.
“If you look at its terms of references and the eight points in there, five of them point directly to the Guptas and their involvement in state capture in this country and I am hoping that this final report elaborates on their specific role, as well as the role of parliament, the executive and every other entity that made state capture possible.”
Balton said it will be important to see if the recommendations by Zondo will be acted upon.
“The president has already committed that he will respond to parliament. What I think however has been the glaring weakness is that parliament in its own right should’ve been deliberating on this report, not waiting for the president to say what he and his cabinet will be doing.”
What if government ignores Zondo’s recommendations?
“If this government ignore these recommendations, what do we do? Then we have 2024 and the forthcoming elections to begin to ask that question and evaluate action in terms of what has been recommended.”
There has been no indication by the presidency when the fifth and final report will be released to the public.
