Johannesburg - The handing over of the first draft of the State Capture report to the presidency has officially taken place with President Cyril Ramaphosa describing the move as a defining moment for the country.
“This is a defining moment in our country’s effort to definitely end the era of State Capture and restore the integrity, credibility and capability of our institutions but more important our government,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa said the handing over of the fist part of the report takes place nearly four years after the establishment of the commission, adding that the “occasion marks the beginning of the final phase of the commission’s work.”
The state capture report is set to be released in three parts with the first volume focusing on the acts of corruption and maladministration that had gripped state-owned entities such as the South African Airways and companies associated with it, while volume two deals with the Gupta-owned and now defunct media company the New Age, among other entities.
Other volumes will also focus on the South African Revenue Service.
WATCH: President @CyrilRamaphosa receives the first part of the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture from the Commission’s Chairperson, Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo pic.twitter.com/MljJ4dnu1E
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 (@PresidencyZA) January 4, 2022
Ramaphosa extended his gratitude to the commission’s team, including its chairperson chief justice Raymond Zondo.
He said for four years, Zondo had pursued the work of the commission with “profound responsibility, dedication and determination and (showed a) great deal of patience as he prodded through documents and listened to witnesses.”
He added however that more work beckoned for Zondo as he was still to submit other drafts and said: “We wish him well.”
Ramaphosa also used the platform to thank, among others, evidence leaders, researchers, the commission’s staff who had worked behind the scenes as well as journalists whose work, he said, contributed to uncovering the acts of corruption which formed part of the commission's investigations.
“It is important to recognise the contribution of former public protector advocate Thuli Madonsela, whose work lay the foundation for the establishment of this inquiry,” Ramaphosa said.
He also pointed out: “Without people of the country showing determination, the work of the commission would not have yielded the type of results we see today,” adding that South Africans stood up to what they saw as an abuse of power.
Ramaphosa committed to transparency and accountability over the process.
The first draft of the report will be put up on the presidency’s website within a few hours.
Ramaphosa will officially hand over the full State Capture report to Parliament on June 30, 2022.
Political Bureau