We're coming for you, Ramapohosa warns state looters

President Cyril Ramaphosa issued perhaps his toughest warning yet to those who have looted billions from the state when he said government is fast-tracking the recovery of funds filched during the height of state capture, notes Legalbrief. A Business Day report points out a number of current and former government officials and executives of major parastatals have been implicated in state capture and corruption, but law enforcement agencies have been slow to react. Responding to the State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate, Ramaphosa said while Eskom and Transnet have, between them, recovered more than R2.3bn in monies lost to corruption, the government was aware that this was just a fraction of what has been lost to state capture. ‘We are determined that all these funds must be found and must be returned, no matter where in the world we need to go to find them,’ the President said. To tackle serious corruption related to the capture of state institutions, the NPA new investigating directorate has been working closely with law enforcement, SARS, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the Reserve Bank, and the private sector, and has been engaging with the Zondo Commission of Inquiry, Ramaphosa said. ‘We have established the SIU Tribunal to fast-track the settlement of civil claims – and the recovery of stolen funds – arising from SIU investigations … We are determined that all those who have stolen from the people – and all those who continue to steal from the people – face the full might of the law,’ Ramaphosa said.

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Ramaphosa has committed government to the rule of law and a reformed and modernised criminal justice system, according to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola in a News24 report. He told the Sona debate: ‘This is demonstrated by the various commitments he has fulfilled in helping with the rebuilding of the NPA. Under his watch, the following reforms have been implemented: firstly, the NPA has been given an additional R150m for the current financial year to fill vacancies and build an investigative directorate for the first time in nearly five years. Secondly, a Special Tribunal has been operationalised as of the first of October 2019. I can confirm that the Special Tribunal has already heard a few cases. The cases that are due for adjudication amount to R1.7bn.’ Lamola added: ‘We are continuing to avail resources for law enforcement agencies to pursue the perpetrators and beneficiaries of corruption and state capture. The Zondo Commission of Inquiry makes it plain that the project of state capture was a sophisticated and well-orchestrated project designed to enrich a select few at the altar of the national democratic society.’

Full Fin24 report