‘Organised crime syndicate’: DA says ANC is ‘the true cause of state capture’

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says the State Capture Commission’s latest report has proven that the ANC is “an organised crime syndicate masquerading as a political party”.

The commission, chaired by Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, released part three of its report on Tuesday night, which focused on Bosasa – now known as African Global Operations – and its “corrupt business model”.

The 1,000-page report details with how the controversial company used gifts and cash to influence ANC bigwigs in exchange to “promote and protect the private interests of Bosasa by irregular procurement and practices to extract money from the state in very substantial amounts”.

The report found that the use of Bosasa’s offices in Krugersdorp as a “war room” for the ANC’s 2014 election campaign amounted to an unacceptable benefit to the governing party.

‘Organised crime syndicate’

DA leader John Steenhuisen said the report also confirmed that “the ANC itself is the true cause of state capture in South Africa”.

“The latest report of the State Capture Commission provides the most damning confirmation yet that the ANC is now little more than an organised crime syndicate masquerading as a political party,” Steenhuisen said in a statement.

Steenhuisen called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to act against implicated ANC officials. 

“For President Ramaphosa, the moment of truth has arrived. Will he hold his own political party and his numerous political allies implicated in corruption by the report to account?

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“Will he fire the Cabinet that has failed our country? Will he put the interests of justice and of South Africans before all else, or will he once again sacrifice South Africa’s needs at the altar of ANC unity?

“For the sake of South Africa, it is time for Ramaphosa to choose our country over the criminal syndicate masquerading as a political party,” he continued.

The DA leader added that the report reaffirmed the party’s decision to table a  motion of no-confidence against Ramaphosa’s entire Cabinet.

Two weeks ago, Parliament confirmed the receipt of DA’s draft vote of no-confidence against notable Cabinet ministers including Police Minister Bheki Cele, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and others.

ANC doesn’t belong to DA, says Mantashe after motion of no confidence bid

ANC cadre minutes and donations

Part one of the state capture report released in January revealed how there is a link between political party funding and the corrupt granting of tenders.

The 874-page report suggested that the ANC benefitted from proceeds of corruption via donations.

The report cited evidence heard at the commission as an example, which revealed that businesses who scored tenders irregularly from government made donations to the ANC.

The publication of ANC’s deployment committee minutes further deepens the party’s alleged role in state capture.

READ MORE: ANC hoped to stop Zondo from making cadre minutes public

The minutes, from 2018 to 2021, appear to show how the committee influenced decisions and appointments made in government departments as well as state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

According to the minutes from a meeting held on 22 March 2019, the committee preselected the appointment of judges for vacant posts in the judiciary.

Task team

In January, Ramaphosa confirmed that a task team within the ANC will be established to deal with the State Capture Commission’s reports.

The task team, which consists of national executive committee (NEC) members, will guide the ANC’s response to the report and recommendations regarding its deployees.

At the time, Ramaphosa said the ANC needed to show determination in addressing the “toxic legacy of state capture”.

ALSO READ: ANC not ‘complicit’ in state capture, says Ramaphosa

The task team, which was recommended by the national working committee (NWC), will be led by former Energy Minister Jeff Radebe alongside former ANC head of policy Joel Netshitenzhe, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and other senior members.

Meanwhile, Mantashe, who is the ANC national chair, publicly conceded that the governing party may not wholly approve the commission’s report, despite several members being implicated in wrongdoing.