Zondo slams Ramaphosa
Former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa for appointing politicians with serious findings against them as Cabinet Ministers.
He said the president was effectively “promoting” those who were implicated by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry in State Capture, despite accepting its findings.
The commission was created in 2018 to investigate allegations that powerful individuals or networks were secretly influencing government decisions for personal gain, alongside widespread fraud and corruption in the public sector.
The commission was chaired by Zondo, Deputy Chief Justice at the time, and cost close to R1 billion, running for four years.
1,400 individuals were implicated. It produced six reports, exposing corruption at PRASA, SSA and SABC, and calling for prosecutions, further probes, and systemic reforms.
Ramaphosa accepted most of the findings in October 2022 and implemented some changes, such as making leadership changes at SARS and freezing R14 billion in assets.
However, prosecutions have been low, with only 51 of those implicated facing criminal charges.
As reported by the Sunday Times, Zondo said that it pained him when he had to swear in cabinet ministers who had severe state capture findings against them.
“It was like the president was saying, ‘I don’t care what you have found about these people. I think they are good enough to be promoted,” he said.
Zondo served as Chief Justice at the time of the shift to the seventh administration. He noted that this came only a few years after he had to swear in ministers whom he had made findings against.
This failure to act on the Zondo Commission findings has also limited the public’s trust.
Ramaphosa recently ordered another inquiry to investigate serious corruption allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
However, given the lack of action on previous commissions, this has sparked doubt that the latest will amount to anything.
“My feelings are that people in South Africa have seen how slow the progress is with the implementation of the commission’s recommendations, even regarding those recommendations that are being implemented,” Zondo said.
He also slammed the inconsistent treatment of ministers who have faced serious allegations over the last year.
He made reference to the recent scandals involving the Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, suspended Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu and axed Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane.
While Simelane was just moved from the Justice Department due to her alleged involvement in the VBS scandal, Mchunu and Nkabane were less lucky amid their own corruption allegations.
Questions over what’s next
Zondo also expressed doubts about the upcoming National Dialogue in South Africa, noting it will likely not focus on the nation’s largest challenges.
Announced by Ramaphosa, the National Dialogue aims to be a place where South Africans from all walks of life can shape the next chapter of democracy.
A national convention is taking place in August which will set the agenda for the National Dialogue.
Zondo expressed reservations about the dialogue, saying that basic failings in the country can be fixed without the need for a forum.
He said he doesn’t believe that a National Dialogue is necessary and is more concerned that “municipalities have competent people who are doing their job.”
“I’m concerned about the interference, even in municipalities. I’m concerned about hospitals. People are going to hospitals and not finding doctors, nurses, or medicines.”
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