Political parties, civil organisations chimed in on President Ramaphosa’s efforts to tackle state capture

Various political parties and civil society organisations have weighed in on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s measures to tackle State Capture.

The ANC’s National Executive Committee says it’s processing what has been shared by its Integrity Commission on members who appeared before it in relation to State Capture.

Whilst other parties have rubbished the interventions, saying this address was a tactic to deflect criticism that he endured by the country’s former presidents this past weekend.

Political parties weigh in on President Ramaphosa’s measures to tackle State Capture:

President Ramaphosa announced changes made by the Zondo Commission to tackle state capture including the protection of whistle-blowers and changing the country’s laws and setting up new agencies to focus on corruption.

The governing party has reiterated that its members who are implicated in the state capture report must cooperate with the internal processes of the party.

This follows several interventions made by President Cyril Ramaphosa to deal with State Capture.

ANC national Spokesperson Pule Mabe says, “Those of our cadres who have been mentioned or implicated in or by the Commission on State Capture should immediately report to our integrity commission. That work internally in the ANC is taking place where such engagements have already been concluded. The integrity commission has already shared its own view with the NEC. we have said that those of our cadres who are asked to come before the Commission, to come and explain themselves, cadres should do so, they should cooperate with these processes.”

Former Presidents lambast Ramaphosa, his spokesperson says shouting from rooftops is not helpful:

Other parties, however, say the country’s first citizen is diverting attention from the fact that he’s not coping as a government leader.  He was heavily criticised by former Presidents, Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma over the weekend – as having not done enough for the country as President.

DA National Spokesperson Solly Malatsi says, “One has to wonder that, the way that, even the timing of this presser – that it is more of a response to try and extinguish some of the political pressure that he’s been getting with the criticism from Presidents Mbeki, Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma over the last few years. Because there was nothing substantive, nothing groundbreaking in substance in what should be a new era in governance in South Africa.”

EFF national Spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys says, “Instead he has weaponised the State Capture report to smokescreen his mafia activities. the only address that Ramaphosa needs to make is his resignation.”

Others believe that Ramaphosa is not capable of dealing with those who are implicated in the Commission.

IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa says, “They have effectively failed our country in every respect. even this one, is only going to target weak and non-significant people – it will not touch the high-ranking leaders of the ANC who are implicated in the state capture.”

FF Plus leader Pieter Groenewald says, “Many of these recommendations and what the honorable president has just said, is actually supposed to be part of the whole new democracy since 1994. and it is actually part also of the 1996 final constitution of South Africa. let’s take the members of the executive for instance that the president referred to, if you go and read the constitution, it states that in effect it must be accountable to parliament.”

COPE national Spokesperson Dennis Bloem says. “President Ramaphosa must stop promising to implement the Zondo Commissions report. We want the President to implement the recommendations and findings.”

Civil Society groups say the government needs to implement the measures it announced with the urgency it deserves.

CASAC Executive Secretary Lawson Naidoo says, “But we need to make sure that government acts with a great sense of urgency because this is really a moment. The President accepts that this is a damning report. It’s a moment for South Africa to reset and strengthen our system of constitutional governance and the one thing I found lacking is the sense of urgency in terms of how the government is going to respond to the range of issues that the president covered.”

The President says all the Commission’s recommendations will be communicated to the nations soon.

Ramaphosa commits that the state will protect whistle-blowers against corruption: John Clark