DA welcomes long-overdue regulations allowing Zondo Commission to share information with law-enforcement agencies

28 July 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the long-overdue amendments to regulations which now allows the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture to share information, records or documents directly with any state law-enforcement agency in South Africa.

The ball is now in the court of the Hawks and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to access the information and testimonies before the Commission, and to act against those who have been implicated in the grand scale looting of the state.

The Zondo Commission began its work in August 2018 in order to provide South Africans with answers on how state capture corrupted and devastated the state machinery. However, there have been no arrests or prosecutions of implicated persons based on information revealed in testimonies because the Commission was until now prohibited from sharing information obtained in the course of their work.

Not a single one of the testimonies brought against high-ranking officials and politicians has a docket or has been referred to the NPA for criminal prosecution despite the hard-hitting evidence available in the public domain.

The DA, therefore, believes that these amendments gazetted by the President on Tuesday is a step in the right direction and we trust that it will jolt the Hawks and the NPA into action to investigate and prosecute those who aided and abetted in selling our country out to the highest bidder.

Instead of having their day in court, those responsible for looting of our state coffers have been awarded lucrative government positions by Luthuli House. We hope that the amended regulations will open the flood gates for all those implicated to be held accountable for the crimes they committed at the expense of the South African people.

Issued byGlynnis Breytenbach, DA Shadow Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, 28 July 2020