State capture contributed to divisions among ANC members, broader society – Ramaphosa

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the party resolved at its Nasrec elective conference in 2017 to establish the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture knowing that the ANC would be placed under “great scrutiny” as the governing party.

Despite this, the ANC believes the commission is a necessary part of efforts to end all forms of state capture and corruption, Ramaphosa said.

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The president on Wednesday took the stand at the commission in his much-awaited testimony as the leader of the ANC.

He was accompanied by the ANC’s senior top six officials and national executive committee (NEC) members, including national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte and treasurer-general Paul Mashatile.

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Ramaphosa began his testimony by reading an opening statement in which he said there was broad consensus among South Africans that state capture took place over the course of several years. However, he said it took some time for the term to “gain currency” and to be recognised by ANC members.

“And even as the term gained currency, there were individuals in the ANC and in society more broadly who contested both the use of the term and the existence of the phenomenon,” Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa was the deputy president of ANC and country during former president Jacob Zuma’s tenure when state capture allegedly occurred.

He mentioned Transport Minister and ANC NEC member Fikile Mbalula, who told the party in 2011 the controversial Gupta family informed him of his pending appointment as minister of sport back in 2010.

Ramaphosa said this was one of the earliest claims of state capture the ANC knew about, but nothing was done about it.

“At the time, the statement did not prompt any specific concerns about the capture of the state,” he said.

“With the passage of time, more reports began to surface in the public domain about the alleged capture of public enterprises by private interests and the undue influence of certain individuals, notably members of the Gupta family in executive decisions and appointments.

As the volume of evidence began to mount in the public domain, the issue of state capture, even if it was not described in those terms at the time, became increasingly a subject under discussion in the NEC and ANC structures.

State capture contributed to divisions

Ramaphosa said the issue of state capture was a matter of great political contestation in the ANC and contributed to divisions in the NEC and other ANC structures.

“These divisions were evident also in government, Parliament and other sections of society. Indeed the issue of state capture and corruption was prominent in the contestation that took place ahead of the ANC’s 54th national conference in December 2017,” he said.

On the ANC’s cadre deployment committee, which he chaired as deputy president, Ramaphosa said it merely made recommendations on people to be appointed to positions in government.

Ramaphosa said state capture and corruption had taken a great toll on the country and its economy. He said he was appearing before the commission not to make excuses for the ANC or to defend the indefensible.

“They [state capture and corruption] have eroded the values of our Constitution and undermined the rule of law. If allowed to continue, they would threaten the achievement of the growth, development and transformation of our country. It is for these reasons the ANC conference in December 2017 resolved to support the establishment of this commission,” Ramaphosa said.

He said the governing party had consistently supported the work of the commission and agreed to assist it to unearth what happened during the so-called “nine wasted years” when Zuma was president.

Corruption not a new phenomenon in SA

Ramaphosa said corruption was not a new phenomenon in South Africa as there was a prevailing culture of corruption under the apartheid government.

He said over the past 27 years, the ANC had largely succeeded in introducing a culture of ethical conduct and respect for the rule of law in the running of the government.

“The recognition of these facts does not mean the ANC is itself corrupt or uniquely affected by corruption,” he said.

“There are other institutions in society, various political and social formations, as well as the private sector companies that have to confront corruption in their own ranks. Nor is South Africa alone in the world in having to deal with endemic corruption.”

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