Cosatu to set up legal team for commissions of inquiry

Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshlintshali told a media briefing on the outcomes of the central executive committee in Braamfontein on Thursday that there is no political will toinvestigate and prosecute private sector corruption.

“The private sector is also fully responsible for the economic mess that the country finds itself in,” he said.

“It is totally unacceptable that, despite the fact that there were amendments made to the Competition Act criminalizing collusion and calling for jail terms of up to ten years on directors and employees found guilty, there is no one who has been sent to prison.”

The federation believes that government officials also cannot be exempt from prosecution.  

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“We won’t look at what position you hold. Whether it’s in the union, whether it’s a case an office bearer of the union has committed some crime. We won’t say this is one of the national office bearers, so we should turn a blind eye. We have no allies in these issues, we don’t want to single out any. There are no allies in crime. If there is evidence and someone has done something wrong, we said that the law must take its cause,” Ntshalintshali added.

The commission of inquiry into state capture has seen various government officials implicated in allegations of fraud and corruption.

The commission heard how Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane allegedly received cash and gifts from controversial facilities management company Bosasa.

The same company also installed security features at the homes of Minister of Mineral and Resources Gwede Mantashe.

The details were revealed by former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi during his testimony earlier this year.