Public Interest SA slams Bain’s apology, accuses it of ‘egregious corruption’

Public Interest SA founder Tebogo Khaas has written an open letter to consultancy firm Bain & Company after it issued a public apology for its role in state capture and called for “constructive dialogue”.

The public apology by Bain’s managing partner in South Africa, Stephen York, comes days after Britain banned it for three years from UK government contracts.

The Zondo Commission found that the comapny played a role in state capture by facilitating corruption at the South African Revenue Service (Sars), along with former president Jacob Zuma and former Sars commissioner, Tom Moyane.

Treasury’s acting director-general Ismail Momoniat also called for South African and international companies to stop doing business with Bain.

ALSO READ: UK bans Bain & Company over corruption scandal in SA

“We apologise to you,” York said in a full-page advert in Business Day. “Bain made serious mistakes in the procurement and execution of our work at Sars.”

While downplaying the role that the consultancy firm played at Sars, and denying that it was corrupt, York said he regrets Bain “playing any role in the damage to this critical institution”.

“Bain made serious mistakes in the procurement and execution of our work at Sars,” he added.

Khaas has since come out and accused Bain of being untruthful.

“What your company did at Sars was not merely a ‘serious mistake’ as you seek to frame it but an act of egregious corruption,” he wrote.

“I can only think of two words to describe your and Bain’s feigned but wilful ignorance: greed and corruption.”

ALSO READ: Time for SA to follow UK’s steps in banning Bain & Company for its role in state capture

Khaas has also accused the firm of trying to convince South Africans that it was unaware of the full scale of the corruption at Sars and that it was also a victim.

“Your message is laced with reverse psychology with Bain fashioned as a co-victim alongside the ‘South African community’. The sheer audacity of it!”

Khaas said if Bain wants to truly apologise to South Africa, it must “admit to the wrongfulness of your actions”.

He said it also needs to make amends by:

• Bain must ease the plight of whistleblowers and assure the safety and livelihoods of those affected by your deeds;
• Bain must refrain from further maligning Athol Williams and any other whistleblower;
• Bain must voluntarily consent and offer to pay punitive damages to the state as redress for the incalculable cost its conduct has had on our already-beleaguered economy; and
• Bain must leverage its wealth of experience, resources, and capabilities to fortify, support and join civil society efforts aimed at helping the state identify and plug identifiable loopholes in the public supply chain management environment.

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