State capture was not a new phenomenon, political parties argued on Thursday.<\/p>\n
But President Jacob Zuma had perfected it, according to Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane.<\/p>\n
Allegations of state capture were\u00a0under the spotlight in the National Assembly on Thursday as political parties took to the podium, focusing their anger on one family, the Guptas.<\/p>\n
Opposition MPs claimed that ministers Mosebenzi Zwane, Des Van Rooyen and Fikile Mbalula, as well as various premiers, were captured by the well known family.<\/p>\n
Debating a motion by\u00a0DA MP David Maynier, Maimane said Zuma had deployed loyalists to every lever of power and patronage.<\/p>\n
“Because we no longer have a president, we have a puppet. Jacob Zuma is a puppet of the Guptas. When the Guptas say ‘jump’, Zuma says, ‘how high?’ When the Guptas say ‘fire [Nhlanhla] Nene’, Zuma says, ‘he\u2019ll be gone by the end of the week’,” Maimane said.<\/p>\n
‘Hired gun’<\/strong><\/p>\n Maynier called on South Africans to rise up against state capture.<\/p>\n He said the recent debacle over his call for a judicial inquiry into South Africa\u2019s banking system, following the decision by the country\u2019s banks to withdraw banking facilities from the Gupta family, was a clear illustration of state capture.<\/p>\n “With a minister acting, not in the public interest, but in the private interests of one family, and that family is, the Guptas,” he said.<\/p>\n He referred to Zwane as a hired gun, carrying out a political hit on the financial sector.<\/p>\n Economic Freedom Fighters MP Fana Mokoena said it was a sad day that Parliament had to call a motion to debate one family.<\/p>\n “The Guptas have already received R400m in bribe money\u00a0for the nuclear deal from the Russians and they are going to do everything to protect that deal.”<\/p>\n ‘No reason for Parliament to investigate’<\/strong><\/p>\n Other major concerns they had, he said, was that state capture meant taking money away from education and housing.<\/p>\n National Freedom Party MP Sibusiso Mncwabe said state capture was not new phenomenon.<\/p>\n He said they would not support the call for the establishment of an ad hoc committee to investigate state capture.<\/p>\n He said Bantu Education in the apartheid era was a form of state capture.<\/p>\n Since an ad hoc committee wasn\u2019t formed when the apartheid government was stealing land and rights, they would not support it now, Mncwabe said.<\/p>\n ANC MP Priscilla Mantashe said the ANC was not pro-corruption.<\/p>\n “Our belief is, there are institutions given the right to investigate corruption. This Parliament has no reason to investigate,” she said.<\/p>\n She said the DA were the architects of corporate capture of the state.<\/p>\n ‘Legitimacy of state is at risk’<\/strong><\/p>\n ANC MP Joanmarie Fubbs\u00a0lectured MPs on corporate capture of the state.<\/p>\n “The legitimacy of the state is at risk because of the prolonged capture of and by the private sector. Before that, by colonialists.”<\/p>\n There was a difference, she said, between state and government.<\/p>\n Another ANC MP said Parliament should not be reduced to an investigative tool.<\/p>\n Maynier\u2019s motion called for the establishment of an ad hoc committee to investigate undue influence over the government and alleged state capture of state resources.<\/p>\n It\u00a0also called for the committee to recommend measures to prevent such incidents from happening.<\/p>\n ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu proposed an amendment to the motion, calling for such allegations to be referred to the police or Chapter 9 institutions for investigation.<\/p>\n The amendment fell away, as it was outside of the scope.<\/p>\n The DA motion failed after ANC MPs managed to fill up benches, which had been empty\u00a0during the debate.<\/p>\n Following the debate, 169 voted against the motion, 103 voted in favour, and\u00a0one MP\u00a0abstained.<\/p>\n News24<\/a><\/p>\nMore on state capture<\/h3>\n