#ThePeopleSay #WakeUpSA: Raising our voices against state capture and corruption

State capture and corruption has had a clear impact on the people of this country. The consequences of the looting have been dire and have undoubtedly contributed to deepening inequality, poverty and unemployment and extends beyond a financial loss. The capacity of the state has been severely eroded; and Human rights, such as health care, social security, the public transport system and basic education, to name only a few, have been compromised by the actions of corrupt individuals and powerful corporations.

The struggle against corruption and the rebuilding of our institutions, cannot only be left to law enforcement agencies and the justice system. The people of South Africa should also play their part in holding those in power to account.

We therefore continue to mobilise around the work of the Zondo Commission and issues of state capture and corruption because the reality is that, South Africa’s struggle for social justice and human rights will not be realised if those who loot with impunity in the public and private sector remain unaccountable.

To the political elites who write ruminating columns and use the loud hailers of social media to fuel the fires of hate, violence and division for political machinations we say: no single political organisation can claim ownership of “speaking for the people”. That voice belongs to each and every one of us – the people of South Africa.
To the powerful corporations, that have enabled state capture and corruption, we call on you to come clean and to stop placing profits above people and human rights – you have enabled injustice for too long.

To the media – and the media owners – now is the time to be more critical and considered in your reporting, not less. Clearly separate fact from fiction, avoid stepping onto the stage of sceptical distraction and help ensure the continued restoration of the publics’ faith in a free and fair press.

To all those hardworking civil servants in government who relentlessly work for our people and help carry the nation through this terrible pandemic, we thank you. To the brave whistle-blowers that continue to come forward, often at great personal cost, we also say thank you.
We stand with you and will be forever grateful for your courage and sacrifice.

To the Zondo Commission we say: keep up the hard work! While standing in full support of your work includes remaining critical, it cannot be stressed enough that the work you are doing, peeling back the layers of secrecy and exposing the extent of the rot in our systems of governance, is vital for the future of this country. This work is contributing to the growing knowledge of what needs to change in order for the country to move forward and for our democracy to be strengthened.

The purpose of the commission is to understand how state capture was allowed to happen. It is a question that still needs to be answered by powerful corporations and the political elite of this country. There are many people that remain in key positions of power who have been implicated in serious corruption and malfeasance.

The commission and the courts are just two bodies responsible for articulating and shepherding the constitutional aspirations of our democracy. Parliament, law enforcement and the many other institutions that make up our body politic also have a constitutional duty in holding those in power to account.
To this end we call on all our institutions to publicly denounce disinformation and fabricated crises – and to purse their constitutional mandates with renewed vigour and integrity.

The patterns of behaviour, that enabled State Capture in the first place, still continue. Amongst these we do not exclude the power hungry elite in the public and private sector that meet over tea to plot the future trajectory of the country and divide up the spoils. This needs to stop. Such practices have no place in the democracy we have worked for or were promised.