South Africa slowly turning tide against corruption - Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is determined to win the fight against corruption by building a society defined by decency and integrity.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said the plunder of public resources, and the theft of money by corporate criminals, shouldn't be tolerated by any South African.
Ramaphosa believes the country is slowly winning the fight against corruption.
He said as of March last year, the value of civil litigation referred to the High Courts and the SIU's Special Tribunal amounted to R75 billion.
"The second game-changer was the establishment in 2019 of the Investigating Directorate in the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute serious organised crime and corruption cases. Since its establishment, the ID has been preparing several cases of serious corruption, including those emanating from the State Capture Commission, for trial.
"This forms part of the NPA's priority plan to deal with state capture and high-level corruption. Last year saw the arrest of several individuals allegedly implicated in 'state capture' cases. A total of 187 accused persons have been taken to court in 32 state capture and corruption cases, and approximately R12.9 billion in funds and assets have been frozen."
Ramaphosa said making the Investigating Directorate a permanent entity within the NPA will be another important step.
"This is so that it can deepen its collaboration with other entities in the criminal justice system and enrol more cases in the courts. Consultations are underway on the legislation to give effect to this and to prescribe its powers and safeguard its independence. This also has implications for its funding and operational capacity."
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