State capture ‘devilish in its genius’ - Johann Kriegler
Retired Constitutional Court Justice Johann Kriegler has described the plan to capture the state as “devilish in its genius”.
Kriegler was speaking at a state capture conference, hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PIRA), in Auckland Park on Wednesday morning.
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“The state capture plan at the beginning was devilish in its genius. An acupuncturist could not have identified the key pressure points of the body politic more exactly than the planners have done. Each one of the key points of protection for civil society and the integrity of the state were identified, penetrated and captured. Be it SARS, the NPA or the Hawks,” said Kriegler.
South African Revenue Service commissioner Edward Kieswetter also weighed in on the debate.
Kieswetter described how former Sars commissioner Tom Moyane used his influence to capture the institution.
When the former commissioner decided to dismantle the high court litigation unit, it was to frustrate the process. When the LBC was dismantled it was so that a few of them could have direct access to large taxpayers’ money.
“Just before he was suspended, there was a draft change in the terms of reference that all settlements above R100 million would only be approved by the commissioner,” he said.