President Cyril Ramaphosa used his address to the January 8 ANC birthday rally in Polokwane to give an undertaking that part of the party’s ‘fundamental renewal’ would involve implementing recommendations of the Zondo Commission that pertained to the party.
The ANC celebrated its 110th birthday at the weekend amid what News24 described as deep divisions, graft allegations and broad challenges that saw it perform dismally in local government elections last year.
Having received the State Capture Inquiry report from Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo last week, Ramaphosa used the party’s birthday rally to dwell on its import.
State capture, he said, ‘had the effect of undermining our democratic state and threatening our programme of social and economic transformation’.
‘Not only was state capture a systematic attempt at siphoning off public resources and funds; it also destroyed the capability of the state and led to the departure of capable people from public institutions as they resist state capture.
‘Some were fired, some were forced to resign, some gave up, some were suspended for long periods and they left. Those were the critical skills that our country was robbed off.’
Ramaphosa added: ‘The ANC will support government in effecting the measures required to eliminate conditions and conduct that enable state capture and systemic corruption. As the ANC, we will engage with our structures and members to ensure sufficient understanding of the contents and findings of the commission.
‘We will put in place mechanisms to process any parts of the commission report that pertain to the organisation, its deployees or members and to consider how the commission’s recommendations can help to enhance the fundamental renewal and rebuilding of our movement.’
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