People’s Tribunal meets to expose rot

Hearing intends to piece together state capture story

Allegations of state capture and economic crimes committed in the pre-democratic era have come under the spotlight at the People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime that kicked off at Constitutional Hill at the weekend.

The purpose of the tribunal is to chronicle and piece together South Africa’s story of state capture.

Some of those who have given testimony during the tribunal include Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza. Ntsebeza testified about apartheid crime intelligence and the disappointment he felt by the failure to implement recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to compensate apartheid victims.

The tribunal, that ends this Wednesday, was organised by Open Secrets, Corruption Watch, Right2Know and the Public Affairs Research Institute.

Among the adjudicators were the UN representative for Refugees Navi Pillay and Social Justice Coalition deputy general secretary Mandisa Dyantyi.

The tribunal follows in the wake of the overall anti-corruption drive for accountability with specific reference to economic crime.

Its aim is to establish a link between apartheid-era crime, post-apartheid crime and the present-day state capture inquiry appointed by President Jacob Zuma to be chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

Today, Basetsana Molebatsi was expected to submit her testimony on the failures of the Seriti Commission of Inquiry which looked into the alleged arms deal corruption.