Ramaphosa says he is fighting corruption, see how

In his speech to the country on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised how his administration has reversed the impacts of state capture, notably the recovery of R8.6 billion in stolen public monies.

Ramaphosa claimed that since 2018, his administration has focused on repairing institutions that had been targeted and crippled at the height of state capture, while he avoided addressing his predecessor Jacob Zuma by name.

He emphasised how the special tribunal was successful in reclaiming stolen public money.

“Since it was established, it has recovered more than R8.6 billion. We took action to stop the politicisation and corruption at the State Security Agency,” he stated.

Ramaphosa also emphasised the hiring of new leadership at the Hawks, the elite investigative unit of the police, which he described as “an institution that was targeted for weakening (during state capture) and which, since then, has secured 4,500 convictions for corruption and other priority crimes.”

Another institution that was purposefully undermined was the NPA. In accordance with the recommendations of an impartial panel after an open and transparent procedure, we have selected a new national director of public prosecutions.

He said that the prosecution of high-profile corruption cases and state capture was the responsibility of the NPA Investigating Directorate.

The Investigating Directorate would be established as a permanent body under the NPA, the president announced, “to further improve existing anti-corruption capabilities.”

Ramaphosa also discussed the progress his administration has made toward enabling the revision of the state capture commission regulations to the exchange of knowledge and assets with the National Prosecuting Authority about state capture cases.

In accordance with the findings of the Nugent inquiry, which were supported by the state capture commission, he added, “We appointed new leadership at the South African Revenue Service and are rebuilding the organisation.”

These efforts have resulted in the prosecution of numerous significant state capture and other serious corruption cases.

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