By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The part three of the state capture report has now been handed over to the Presidency.
Director-General in The Presidency, Phindile Baleni, received the report from the Secretary of the Commission, Professor Itumeleng Mosala.
Acting Chief Justice and Commission Chairperson Raymond Zondo presented the first volume of the report to President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings on 4 January.
The second volume was handed to the Presidency on 1 February.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria recently granted the commission an additional two months — to the end of April 2022 — to complete its work.
The third part of the State Capture Inquiry report painted a picture of how the ANC and its deployees in government departments were heavily compromised by Bosasa.
“The evidence reveals that that there was widespread corruption in the awarding of contracts and tenders to Bosasa, and its associated business entities or organisations, by government departments, SOEs, agencies and entities.
“Members of the national executive, public officials and functionaries of various organs of state influenced the awarding of tenders to benefit themselves, their families or entities in which they held a personal interest,” the report found.
In light of this, the report recommended that ANC leaders and government officials – including former president Jacob Zuma, Gwede Mantashe and Nomvula Mokonyane – be investigated for possible corruption.
According to the report, Zuma benefitted through having lavish birthday parties sponsored by the company as well as alleged payments to the Jacob Zuma Foundation.
The commission found there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect that Zuma’s actions in connection with Bosasa was in breach of his “obligations as president under the Constitution”.
It related to the alleged R300 000 per month payment to the foundation – and the former president’s alleged interference in preventing government departments, mainly the correctional services department, from cancelling Bosasa contracts.
The report recommended that law enforcement authorities take action against Mokonyane.
“The matter is referred to the appropriate authorities for further investigations and prosecution of Ms Mokonyane on charges of corruption,” reads the report.
The report also recommended that Deputy Defence Minister Thabang Makwetla be investigated for possible corruption, for accepting the installation of a security system at his home. Makwetla paid Bosasa R25 000 for the security system, well below the quoted R90 000, and only after the existence of the system had been made public.
In relation to evidence about the ANC’s elections “war room” facilities, which were provided at no cost to the party, Acting Chief Justice Zondo recommended that ANC officials involved in setting up the room at Bosasa’s offices be identified and investigated.
The commission handed over the third part of the report to the Presidency on Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile In a statement the DA says the latest report of the State Capture Commission provides the most damning confirmation yet that the ANC is now little more than an organised crime syndicate masquerading as a political party.
The report finds that the ANC accepted substantial financial and other support from BOSASA for the party’s 2014 election “war room, said the DA.”
It notes that Bosasa provided this assistance to the ANC to ensure that “the ANC would remain the majority party and thus in a position to appoint to positions of public office, persons whom Bosasa was able to influence or would seek to influence.”
Again flagging the role of the ANC system of cadre deployment in facilitating state capture, the Commission also notes that Bosasa’s assistance to the ANC was designed to ensure that “members of the ANC deployed to senior positions…would remain well-disposed to Bosasa.”
The report concludes that “there is a reasonable prospect” that an investigation of senior ANC officials will “uncover a prima facie case and the matter is referred for further investigation accordingly.”
The report also finds that Cedric Frolick not likely tried to “shield” and “protect” his friend, former Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson, but that Frolick facilitated “the unlawful award of tenders” and refers him for further investigation on charges of money laundering, corruption and fraud.
Read the full reports of State Capture Report Part 3 Here: State Capture Report Part 3.