Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa has come in for criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups for his plan to implement the Zondo Commission findings and recommendations.
On Sunday, Ramaphosa addressed the nation on steps to be taken and announced reforms covering procurement, SOE (State-Owned Enterprises) boards and anti-corruption measures.
However, the parties felt he did not make bold announcements nor crack the whip on ministers implicated by the commission, and rehashed work already being done.
DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube said Ramaphosa simply provided an analysis of the Zondo Commission report instead of stating what the Cabinet intended to do to insulate government processes from grand theft again.
“Much of what the president said is existing work already being done by law-enforcement agencies.
Nothing was said about bolstering their capacity to investigate and prosecute those who plundered public money.
“More glaringly, the president completely avoided making any announcements about Cabinet ministers implicated in state capture and how he will be holding them to account.
The EFF said it was yet another smoke-screen address by Ramaphosa.
“... as a state president he should have long cleared his name against the serious criminal charges laid against him.
“Instead, he has weaponised the state capture report to smokescreen his corrupt activities, i.e. torturing women, money laundering, abuse of state resources and defeating the ends of justice,” it said.
“The only address Ramaphosa needs to make is his resignation.”
IFP president Velenkosi Hlabisa said Ramaphosa’s response did not inspire confidence as it appeared the recommendations would only target inconsequential persons.
“Only when we see those in the president’s executive, implicated by the Zondo Commission facing consequences, can the ANC hope to convince SA that they can restore the broken country they created.”
Hlabisa said the report was vague instead of taking decisive action against prominent ANC members.
“We fear the commitments made in relation to ‘dealing with the perpetrators of state capture and corruption ... are merely empty promises,” Hlabisa added.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said South Africa’s hopes that Ramaphosa would use the Zondo Commission’s report as a tool to eradicate fraud and corruption were dashed.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) said it was disappointed.
“The president’s report lacks substantial plans and concrete decisions on how he intends to implement the recommendations of the state capture report,” Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage said.
Good secretary-general Brett Herron said there were no grand announcements but measures to strengthen South Africa’s anti-corruption arsenal.
“The proof of the pudding will be in the implementation.”
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said Ramaphosa did not say anything that was not known.
“He is not going to be able to deal with corruption until such time he takes us into confidence about Phala Phala.”
“We can’t live with the president dealing in money laundering and president that actually does not believe in police and our law-enforcement agencies,” Mashaba said.
Cape Times