Written by: Errol Naidoo
Article source: familypolicyinstitute.com
The State Capture Inquiry, also known as the Zondo Commission is evidently picking up steam. This may be a consequence of the little time left for the Commission to conclude its business. “The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture” was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in August 2018, in response to an investigative Report released by former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela. The Zondo Commission is scheduled to conclude its Inquiry into State Capture corruption in March 2021.
This means the Commission has approximately 20 weeks left to complete its critical work (taking the holidays into account). The Covid-19 pandemic and other delays extended the Commission’s timetable. However, it appears Justice Zondo has ramped up efforts to ensure he fulfills his mandate.
One indication of the Inquiry picking up pace is Justice Zondo’s recent granting of a subpoena to summon former president Jacob Zuma to appear before the Commission. Zuma has employed every tactic possible to avoid testifying under oath. He claimed the Inquiry is a “foreign backed conspiracy against him which includes apartheid-era spies” and demanded Zondo recuse himself.
Incredibly, the State Capture Inquiry was established by President Ramaphosa to investigate allegations of corruption, fraud, theft, racketeering and money laundering – specifically during the disastrous Zuma administration.
The Zondo Commission issued Jacob Zuma a non-negotiable summons to appear as a witness on 16 – 20 November 2020. More than 30 witness testimonies at the Commission implicated Zuma in widespread corruption. Following his testimony at the Inquiry, Mr Zuma must appear in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on 8 December for a pre-trial hearing into the long delayed bribery and corruption trial set down for February 2021.
Mr Zuma lashed out at the Zondo Commission for extending its inquiry into his children’s banking accounts. Apparently, the Commission subpoenaed the banking records of several of the former president’s children. The noose of justice does appear to be tightening around Mr Zuma’s neck.
Some more good news is that the Zondo Commission also subpoenaed the banking records of EFF leader, Julius Malema, its deputy leader, Floyd Shivambu and members of their families. Malema and Shivambu were implicated in the VBS Bank looting scandal. According to the VBS investigation, the EFF, Malema and Shivambu specifically, received millions from the looted bank through family member intermediaries. Malema, Shivambu and other EFF officials face several other legal challenges.
Witness testimony at the Zondo Commission also implicated ANC Secretary General, Ace Magashule, in massive corruption and tender fraud. Mr Magashule will appear as a witness soon to explain how millions of tax-payers funds were directed into Gupta owned businesses. He must also explain his role in the Free State asbestos audit fraud of which several officials were already arrested.
The grossly incompetent Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s Report into the Vrede Dairy Farm scandal was ruled unconstitutional and invalid by the Pretoria High Court mainly because it did not investigate the role of then Free State premier, Ace Magashule and agriculture MEC, Mosebenzi Zwane in the R600 million fraud. Several courts have found Mkhwebane incompetent and negligent.
On 15 Oct 2020, the Pretoria High Court threw out yet another Report from the now thoroughly discredited Mkhwebane. This time the court found the Public Protectors Report into the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) “unconstitutional and invalid.” The FSCA “investigation” followed a 2017 complaint by EFF leader, Julius Malema. Incredibly, despite the numerous allegations of corruption leveled against Malema, Mkhwebane has not launched a single investigation into these complaints. We must pray Parliament will fulfill its oversight mandate and remove Busisiwe Mkhwebane from office soon.
However, the recent spate of arrests does indicate those implicated in corruption will soon be facing justice. As the Zondo Commission heads down the final stretch, we will see the arrests and prosecutions of high profile public officials. Jacob Zuma and his cronies will finally face their day of reckoning.
The next 5 months will be critical. You and I must continue to intercede for South Africa. We serve a God of righteousness and justice. When our political leaders fail us, God will not. Keep praying, keep standing, keep acting for truth.
Click here to KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.
Date published: 20/10/2020
Feature image: pixabay.com
DISCLAIMER
JOY! News is a Christian news portal that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. Although we do publish many articles that have been written in-house by JOY! journalists, we do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this website are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.
