![COPE spokesperson Dennis Bloem at the State Capture Commission. [File image]](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SABC-News-Dennis-Bloem-750x375.jpg)
Congress of the People (COPE) says the African National Congress (ANC) must be charged with corruption and money laundering following the release of the third volume of the report on State Capture.
The third report focused on Bosasa and its dealings with the ANC and some senior government officials.
The report found overwhelming evidence that attempts were made through various forms of inducement to influence members of the National Executive, and office bearers, functionaries, officials, and employees in state institutions and organs of state.
The report is damning on several ANC and government leaders including Gwede Mantashe, Nomvula Mokonyane, and Thabang Makwetla among others.
COPE spokesperson Dennis Bloem says it clearly shows that the ANC was complicit in corruption.
“We have said it all the time that it was not only Jacob Zuma who was involved in the State Capture Project. That is why Zuma was protected and defended by Gwede Mantashe and Cyril Ramaphosa. Part Three of the Zondo Commission on Bosasa is damning to the ANC as a political party. They benefited from corrupt money from Bosasa. We believe that the ANC must also be charged with corruption and money laundering and they must pay back all the money that they receive through corrupt means.”
SABC NEWS Specialist Researcher Amil Umraw says the report found that Bosasa’s primary mechanism for attempting to influence public office bearers was the payment of cash bribes:
‘Mantashe should be axed’
Meanwhile, Corruption Watch says it hopes that President Cyril Ramaphosa will remove Mantashe from the cabinet following the release of the report.
Legal researcher at Corruption Watch, Karam Singh, says there are expectations that action should be taken by law enforcement agencies.
“We saw the former Minister of Health stepping aside as a result of the Digital Vibes scandal. There haven’t been any charges laid bare. One would expect a similar type of treatment and for Minister Mantashe to step aside and be removed from the cabinet while investigations proceed. I think that would be a reasonable expectation from us and from the public to see something like that happen,” says Singh.
