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Judicial Commission of Inquiry of the President of State Capture, Vice President of the Supreme Court Raymond Zondo.
- On Thursday, the Zondo commission continued to hear evidence of parliamentary oversight.
- Lawson Naidoo de Casac told the commission that he supports transparency and openness in the appointment processes.
- David Lewis of Corruption Watch says the heads of the state companies were “absolutely instrumental” in capturing the state.
David Lewis of Corruption Watch told the Zondo commission that the heads of state-owned companies were “absolutely decisive” in capturing the state.
On Thursday, the commission refocused on evidence related to parliamentary oversight after former President Jacob Zuma failed to appear before it this week.
Testifying, Lewis said the commission should pay attention to how certain appointments were made to facilitate wrongdoing.
“The most important role [former] The president who played to ensure the capture of the state lay in his powers of appointment and his influence over other appointments, “he said.
He also told Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo, who chairs the commission, that the organization was “encouraged” by the way President Cyril Ramaphosa chose to appoint the heads of the South African National Tax Authority and Revenue Service. .
“The process that followed provided him with the kind of information and consideration necessary to make a rational appointment,” he said.
He also said he was “pleased” that the president of the National Assembly has created a committee of experts to determine whether the reasons for the removal of the current Public Protector have been met.
The committee will then advise the parliamentary committee on its findings, he said.
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Meanwhile, Lawson Naidoo of the South African Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (Casac) told the commission that the organization supported proposals made by Corruption Watch and the Institute for Security Studies that there should be more transparency and openness in the appointment processes in key institutions.
He said one of the lessons learned from the evidence that has been presented to Zondo was how key institutions, tasked with fighting corruption, were “weakened” during the years of state capture, by individuals appointed to lead those institutions. , particularly in law enforcement. sector.
“We propose that a more open, competitive and transparent process be carried out … in view of the public so that if it is a properly open and transparent process, the public has greater confidence in the people who are appointed to lead these institutions and they know exactly what their capabilities, skills and experience are, “he said.
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Although the power to appoint rests with the president, in 2018, Ramaphosa established a panel to advise him on who to appoint as the new National Director of Public Prosecution (NDPP). The interviews were broadcast live for the first time.
Naidoo told Zondo that this process “enhanced the credibility of the appointment and the institution” now led by defender Shamila Batohi.
