Zuma destroyed SA's democracy, SARS - Mbeki
Former President Thabo Mbeki has accused his successor Jacob Zuma of destroying the country's democracy through the collapse of the South African Revenue Service (SARS)
Mbeki addressed the annual lecture at the University of South Africa (Unisa) on Wednesday night.
Mbeki used the Nugent Commission report and the Zondo Commission report to paint a picture of how SARS, Eskom and other state institutions were destroyed, threatening the country's economy.
"The Zondo Commission looked at the outcome of the Nugent Commission of Inquiry on SARS, and they said we agree with what that commission said and its outcome.
This is one of the extraordinary conclusion in the Zondo Commission report, It says one of the people who played the leading role in the efforts of destroying SARS was the president of the republic of South Africa.
It says in terms of all the evidence it received, is that the president of the republic, made certain that he was one of the leading people in terms of the SARS and Eskom processes.
And of cause we know who the president was, and it says so in black and white that Jacob Zuma was part of the processes to destroys SARS.
It is a bit of a conundrum, that you would have the president of republic destroys an institution that gives them the means to govern," says Mbeki.
Mbeki further went into the analysis of former Institute of Race Relations CEO Dr John Endres to reflect on the 30 years of democracy.
In his writing, Endres says South Africa's history can be divided into three ages. "The first age is from 1994 until 2007, age two is from 2008 to 2022, and we are now drifting towards the conclusion of age three."
Mbeki says it is a conundrum that the country enjoyed an upward trajectory between 1994 to 2007, but took the opposite direction between 2008 to 2022.
He cited Endres's report, which states that if the government doesn't fulfil its duties and fix the country, South Africa will be lost in the hands of the private sector and NGOs.
"He says we can see it happening already, municipal councils cant fill potholes, so the citizens collects money themselves and fill the potholes, policing is not effective, so I hire private security services," he said.
