KZN killings report: root out corrupt leaders

An urgent investigation into politicians, public officials and business people associated with corrupt activities in the public service must be a priority.

This is one of the recommendations in the controversial 425-page Moerane Commission of Inquiry report into political killings in KwaZuluNatal.

The eagerly-awaited report was released by Premier Willies Mchunu in the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday and was expected to shed more light about the underlying causes behind a spate of political killings which claimed many lives in the province.

The commission‚ which cost taxpayers R15m‚ was set up by Mchunu to investigate the killings.

It wrapped up its work in April after testimony from a range of organisations and individuals, and Mchunu received the Moerane Commission report in June and handed it over to the provincial legislature to process before releasing it to the public on Thursday.

In a summary of the report, Mchunu highlighted some of the recommendations including that corrupt activities and the criminal acts by politicians, public officials and people against whom there was evidence of corruption must be vigorously investigated, expeditiously prosecuted if found guilty and appropriately sentenced to avoid a culture of impunity.

Some of the other recommendations included that:

● Political parties must take responsibility for violent competition between members.

● Political parties must discipline members whose conduct encourages or results in political intolerance and violence, and must be reported to law-enforcement authorities.