Long overdue

DISTRUST between President Jacob Zuma and ordinary South Africans has dropped to such parlous levels that when the president announced the appointment of a commission of inquiry into state capture, one of the first questions asked was: “Why now?”

After months of soft-shoe shuffling Zuma finally relented to the cacophony of calls to institute former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s directives contained in her State of Capture report.

On Tuesday, Zuma named Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Mnyamezeli Mlungisi Zondo to head the inquiry.

Quite frankly, who cares why Zuma relented so suddenly.

We believe the sorry saga of state capture and corruption needs to be aired as quickly as possible.

We want to see the information in the so-called Gupta Leaks tested. We need to know if cabinet ministers, other members of the ANC, and officials at state-owned enterprises have been involved in corrupt activities. We want clarity on whether certain cabinet ministers have been carrying state secrets to the Gupta family.

We hope the inquiry will bring finality on whether the Guptas made cabinet appointments.

But most of all, we want to know whether our state president has been involved in nefarious activities. W e have a right to know. We have a right to expect the strongest sanction against anyone, irrespective of their standing in society, if they have made themselves guilty of activities that run counter to our constitution.

In making his announcement, Zuma insisted he would appeal against the North Gauteng High Court ruling that he appoint a commission of inquiry, with the judge to head that inquiry being chosen by the chief justice.

“It is of such serious public concern that any further delay would make the public doubt the government’s determination to dismantle all forms of corruption, and entrench the public perception that the state has been captured by private interests for nefarious purposes,” he said.

We have very seldom agreed with Zuma over the past few years, and we maintain he should be recalled.

But we fully agree with him on this comment: “There should be no area of corruption, and culprit, that should be spared the extent of this commission of inquiry.”