Bigwig arrests send right signal

Even as the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) was celebrating government’s scrapping of e-tolls, there was even better news yesterday, with the arrest of former acting Eskom chief executive officer Matshela Koko.

Koko, along with his wife, Mosima Koko, stepdaughters Koketso Aren and Thato Choma, former SA Local Government Association (Salga) chief executive Thabo Mokoena and former Eskom executive Frans Sithole, were released on bail.

The arrests are related to corruption, money laundering and other charges related to Eskom. Koko is one of the “big fish” implicated in the state capture project to enrich the Gupta family and their local accomplices.

ALSO READ: Ex-Eskom CEO Matshela Koko granted R300K bail 

So, the arrest seemingly shows that the process of dealing with looting is gathering momentum and that President Cyril Ramaphosa is seriously about cleaning up the country and the ranks of the ANC. However, it is still way too soon to start popping champagne corks.

Those accused of involvement in state capture will, no doubt, follow the example of their “president”, Jacob Zuma, and drag out legal matters as long as possible. It will likely be years before we see any of the people who stole our future being put behind bars. But this is a good start.