US authorities acting on State Capture whilst Ramaphosa-administration dithers
11 October 2019
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the strong action taken by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to impose sanctions against the Gupta Family and their associates for their involvement in State Capture in South Africa, under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act for corruption, bribery and misappropriation of state assets.
The statement which was released on Thursday evening, states that US authorities have imposed sanctions against Ajay Gupta, Atul Gupta, Rajesh Gupta, and Salim Essa for their involvement in corrupt schemes with government officials and employees in state-owned enterprises for their own personal gain. The sanctions prohibit US persons from engaging in transactions with the four men, or entities owned or controlled by them.
The DA views the US sanctions against the Gupta family’s carefully orchestrated network of corruption as a positive step that could open-the-flood-gates for several others to be held accountable for the crimes they committed at the expense of the South African people.
It is however unfortunate that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC government has not acted against a single individual that has been implicated in State Capture. Instead, the Ramaphosa-administration has awarded those involved in the looting of our state coffers. It is incomprehensible that not a single individual responsible for State Capture has been arrested, let alone charged and hauled before the courts.
The fact that it has taken US authorities to act against the Guptas and their acolytes, despite the numerous evidence presented at the Zondo Commission, places a massive dark cloud of doubt over President Ramaphosa’s intentions to clean up the rot, which he stood and watched happen for almost 10- years. Government is missing a huge opportunity to send a clear message to the public and the world – that rogue elements have no place in our country.
Not a single one of the cases 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.
There has been much fanfare around taking corruption head-on with little to action taken, even in the face of strong evidence being presented. The action by US government authorities has shown our own law enforcement agencies what to do when you have all the evidence you need to investigate and prosecute those implicated in wrongdoing - to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
The action by the US Government shows what can be done when the political will exists to steer South Africa in the right direction.
Mr Ramaphosa, this single act by the US Government has done more in the fight against State Capture than you and your administration have done to undo and act against this mass form of unabated corruption.
Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, 11 October 2019
