Deputy President Paul Mashatile said his boss, President Cyril Ramaphosa, handed over the report from Chief Justice Raymond Zondo to Parliament for implementation. Picture: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has said Parliament is taking steps to implement the Zondo Commission report after it was tabled to the national legislature by President Cyril Ramaphosa months ago.
He said they acknowledge that corruption undermined democratic processes and eroded public trust.
However, government was taking steps to fight corruption.
Parliament was a key arm of State that held the Executive accountable.
But Chapter 9 institutions have become critical in investigating corruption cases in the country.
Mashatile, who was addressing the legislative sector summit in Cape Town on Monday, said Ramaphosa handed over the report on State Capture from Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in 2022.
Justice Zondo was investigating corruption cases following recommendations from the report of the public protector in 2016.
The commission started its work in 2018 and concluded it in 2022. Part of the recommendations was that Parliament must act on those implicated in the report.
“The fundamental test of democracy lies in Parliament’s ability to maintain executive accountability through continuous oversight. The litmus test of an active citizenry in a democracy is the extent to which Parliament can hold the government accountable to the people.
“As the government, we have identified corruption, abuse of state power, and maladministration as critical deficiencies that undermine our governance institutions and processes and thus erode public trust,” said Mashatile.
He said the public protector had asked for the state capture commission to investigate corruption in state organs.
“Regarding the latest report received, Parliament is currently working on proper mechanisms to address the issues raised by the report of the State Capture Commission. The presiding officers of Parliament have already referred certain matters requiring direct action by Parliament to parliamentary structures for processing,” said Mashatile.
Parliament was involved in a public spat with Justice Zondo over the implementation of the report’s findings.
Zondo had accused Parliament of not implementing his report.
But Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Amos Masondo, later met with Zondo in Johannesburg, where they clarified differences.
The issue was resolved following the meeting.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics