SACP demands ‘decisive investigative, prosecutorial action’ on state capture

The SACP has, in a memorandum to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and Hawks, demanded “decisive investigative and prosecutorial action against state capture”.

In the memorandum, the SACP’s Gauteng provincial secretary, Jacob Mamabolo, said: “… the advances against state capture are now faced with a concerted fightback. Networks that propped up the rogue operations to advance and defend the corruption of state capture remain active and continue to undermine our democracy.”

The party, together with other concerned South Africans and a number of public organisations, most notably the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, are signatories to the #DefendOurDemocracy and #HandsOffOurDemocracy campaigns.

News24 previously reported the SACP and civil society organisations have threatened to protest against Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane whom the SACP’s first deputy general-secretary, Solly Mapaila, called a “hired gun” for rogue elements aligned with the fightback campaign.

Mapaila said at the time, the SACP would be launching a campaign to “openly” respond to the offensive launched against those fighting corruption.

Mamabolo, in the memorandum, stated the document was meant to “… demand decisive investigative and prosecutorial action against state capture”.

“We are here to continue our campaign for all those who were complicit in the corruption to be held to account. We strongly believe that those pursuing the concerted state capture fightback seek to subvert the processes underway to rebuild efficient and ethical governance, so that they may remain unaccountable.”

In reference to crime intelligence, the police, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), special investigation unit (SIU) and NPA, Mamabolo said “a thoroughgoing investigation on whether those who were assigned to perform the important crime and corruption combating roles in state organs were deliberately sleeping on duty or lulled to passivity is absolutely required”.

“In either case, those directly responsible for the inaction on state capture and the underlying forces must be held to account. The commission of inquiry into state capture has, for instance, heard that there were elements within the Hawks responsible for ‘killing’ investigations into state capture-associated corruption.”

He continued that, in taking forward the fight against state capture, the party had affirmed its support for the commission’s work, calling on the Hawks and NPA to immediately take appropriate, decisive, investigative and prosecutorial action on the basis of the evidence available from the Zondo commission and other commissions of inquiry into corruption “and associated repurposing of state institutions, including intelligence services”.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.