Pic: Mail & Guardian
Faizel Patel – 12/08/2020
Accountability Now Director Paul Hoffman says corruption within the African National Congress (ANC) must be conducted by independent investigators to avoid questions being raised about the probe.
Since president Cyril Ramaphosa announced measures to address the massive looting of COVID-19 relief funds, it snowballed with not only nine state organs investigating the allegations of tender irregularities, but a ministerial committee that will focus on Covidpreneurs.
The Gauteng’s provincial government excepted a decision by its Integrity Committee to instruct two mayors in the province implicated in the VBS scandal to step down.
Hoffman says to maintain the credibility of the investigation, the ANC should not investigate the ANC.
“Even the NEC of the ANC has said so in the resolution that is passed in the first weekend of this month. So unless the investigation is done independently, there is always the question mark as to whether bias, nepotism, cronyism, patronage is involved the investigation and that kills the credibility of the investigation.”
Hoffman says the ANC made a very important decision during the NEC meeting where it called on cabinet, the highest decision making body to form an independent entity that is able to deal with corruption.
“In order to be able to deal with corruption properly, you have to form an integrity commission under Chapter nine of the constitution. That is necessary because the Constitutional Court has said what is required in relation to fighting corruption.”
Hoffman says had the now defunct investigation unit the Scorpions been registered as a Chapter Nine institution, they would still have been in existence as only a majority in parliament can dissolve a Chapter nine organization.
Listen to the interview with Paul Hoffman
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