Bishops call for anti-graft court to be established

THE Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has called for the establishment of an anti-corruption court in South Africa.

The SACBC’s justice and peace commission made the appeal after the Supreme Court of Appeal last week dealt a blow to President Jacob Zuma and the national prosecuting authority (NPA) in the “spy tapes” saga.

“The court battle on the Spygate and corresponding corruption allegations against the president have been going on for more than eight years,” Bishop Abel Gabuza said yesterday.

“If the national prosecuting authority decides to reinstate corruption charges against the president‚ the matter will probably continue for another four years.”

The Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday turned down a bid by Zuma to appeal a previous ruling that he could face 783 charges.

Zuma and the NPA had asked the court to overturn a Pretoria High Court judgment that the charges could be reinstated.

The bishops said the protracted legal battle had cost the country.

“When allegations of corruption hang over the head of a sitting president for this long‚ something gives way.

“In our case‚ the moral fibre of our nation has suffered massive damage as a result of people losing confidence in the office of the president and its ability to fight corruption at all levels of government.

“For eight years we have not had a president who leads from the front in the fight against corruption‚” the SACBC statement said.

The religious body also challenged ANC presidential hopefuls to publicly declare that they would push for the establishment of a specialised anti-corruption court if they were elected. –TimesLIVE