(Johannesburg) “Zuma was a key player in the plan”: the 4and part of a damning investigative report on the machinations that led to the looting of state coffers in South Africa during the presidency of Jacob Zuma (2009-2018) was submitted to the presidency on Friday.
Posted at 8:32
Since January, the anti-corruption commission of judge Raymond Zondo, who has become the pet peeve of the former head of state, has been recounting the conclusions of four years of investigation and hundreds of hours of hearings on state corruption, the maneuvers to siphon off public companies and influence games within the government in connection with a sulphurous trio of businessmen of Indian origin, the Gupta brothers.
The final report must be submitted before June 15. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has made corruption his hobbyhorse, but has however also been called to testify before the commission, will then have to decide on possible legal proceedings.
The new component focuses in particular on embezzlement within the public electricity company, Eskom. According to the report, “evidence shows that the Gupta have a plan in place to take over Eskom.” And ex-president Jacob Zuma “interfered in the management of board affairs” in their favour, the report claims.
“President Zuma’s interference in council affairs marked the beginning of the implementation of the Gupta’s plan to take over Eskom and President Zuma was a key player in that plan,” Judge Zondo said.
“The state capture and its agents have caused immense harm to Eskom for many years,” the company said in a statement, adding that “necessary action” will be taken if any of those involved are still employed.
The report also gives its conclusions on a fraud in the framework of contracts of 10 million dollars for the creation of social housing and asbestos removal operations in the province of the Free State, then led by one of the most senior officials of the ruling party, the ANC, Ace Magashule.
The report denounces “a debacle” claiming that “either no houses have been built, or there have been so few that they are not worth mentioning”. Close to Jacob Zuma, Mr. Mgashule, was charged at the end of 2020 and suspended from the ANC.
Mr. Zuma, 80, is on parole after being sentenced to prison for refusing to testify before the commission. His incarceration sparked violence in July that left more than 350 dead.