‘What’s the point in renaming failed Anti-Corruption Task Team’

Corruption Watch executive director David Lewis has described government’s new corruption “Fusion Centre” as nothing more than “a duplication” of already existing bodies, and questioned its value in the fight against graft.

Conceding that rampant corruption has damaged government’s reputation, Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu on Wednesday assured the South African public that the newly-established Fusion Centre made up of various arms of law enforcement agencies, would get to the bottom of graft cases, including dodgy multi-million-rand Covid-19 personal protective (PPE) procurement tenders.

Lewis, however, says he is skeptical about the impact of the newly-established coordinating unit, composed of Financial Intelligence Centre, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the State Security Agency, and the South African Revenue Service.

“I am not exactly sure about the meaning of the Fusion Centre, when the Anti-Corruption Task Team, composed of the same law enforcement agencies, is still in existence, which is a duplication because I don’t know where these two fit together,” said Lewis.

“I don’t know what value it adds to the armory of law enforcement. They better not even announce new units, but just get on with doing something for people to take it seriously.”

Lewis said government had a dismal track record in fighting corruption due to factional battles within the governing African National Congress (ANC).

He explained: “In the first year of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration, much was done to lay the foundation in fighting corruption. We saw new heads of law enforcement agencies and an NPA national director, being appointed, along with the revamping state-owned enterprises.

“But suddenly it all ground to a halt, because of internal factions withing the governing ANC, where there is a strong faction that genuinely wants to fight corruption, with another equally strong faction, not wanting to fight graft.

“This has led to nothing happening after such a good start by Ramaphosa, which is very disappointing. That is why government’s track record in fighting corruption has been is very poor.

“Things have now come to a head, because people have been seriously outraged by the current state of corruption, including the PPE scandal.”

Cooperation is crucial

Professor Dirk Kotze of the University of South Africa’s department of political studies says government’s pledge to restore public trust on how it dealt with corruption would largely depend the Fusion Centre delivering on the mandate given to them by President Cyril Ramaphosa to clean up.

Describing the Fusion Centre’s co-ordination function as playing “a vital role in dealing with corruption”, Kotze said co-operation among competing arms of state law enforcement agencies was crucial – “in the past a weakness in the country being unable to make headway in arresting and successfully prosecuting individuals behind graft”.

Fusion Centre will “restore public trust”

Responding to a question from The Citizen during the outcomes of this week’s Cabinet meeting, Mthembu told a media briefing he was confident that the new coordination law enforcement structure, would “restore public trust and reputation by arresting anyone behind corruption”.

He said: “As we speak, these investigative units have started meeting at the Fusion Centre somewhere in Johannesburg – all working to meet the directive the president has given them.

“The only way we can erode public distrust is by acting swiftly and arresting those that are involved in corruption. We mean it, the president means it, Cabinet mean it, that all those who are bringing government to disrepute should be dealt with. There are so many wonderful public servants out there and so many good leaders in government.

“But there are just a few messing up with our name. And it then appears that the entirety of government is rotten to the core.

“The scourge of corruption, which manifests itself in the blatant theft and looting of state resources, is the biggest societal cancer that has the potential to erode public trust in government’s concerted efforts to improve the lives of the people.”

Mthembu said the SIU “has indicated how many corrupt activities are in their books, something encouraging”.

He added: “I have already heard that some people have started appearing in court.

“When we say we must fight corruption, we must show that we are fighting it, having brought all these corruption-busters to work together. To us it does not matter whether you are in government or in the private sector. When you are corrupt you must be arrested and brought to book.”

The Fusion Centre, said Mthembu, would present its first six weekly reports to Ramaphosa by next month.

brians@citizen.co.za

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