The South African Communist Party (SACP)’s Solly Mapaila has come out strongly in defence of Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan in his effort to clean up and fight corruption in state-owned entities.
He says they’ll always make sure that Gordhan gets the support he deserves in making sure that all state-owned entities do their job in building an efficient economy.
Mapaila spoke at the launch of the Ahmad Kathrada Foundation’s “Hands Off our Democracy” Campaign against State Capture that coincided with Mandela Day celebrations at the Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Mapaila says Gordhan has been singled out as a stumbling block in fighting corruption.
“People like Comrade Pravin Gordhan who has been singled out as stumbling block in the fight against corruption by some of the people in the state-owned enterprises in particular. Even some disappointingly very educated individuals, who are actually feeling that a fight against corruption is a fight against blackness, there’s no black professional who should be proud of corruption.”
Mapaila also lashed out at former President Jacob Zuma for challenging the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.
“We have seen for instance the recent comments made at the State Capture Commission that (are) quite disparaging of the work we have done; even by those who were in government and involved in setting up the commission, who have denounced its efforts. So, it’s high time we mobilise and deal with the criminal elements, some that have actually held our democratic institutions at ransom.”
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