‘Halt state capture’
FORMER SACP deputy general secretary Jeremy Cronin has called for action against state capture, saying billions of rands were stolen each year.
Cronin, who is also the deputy minister of public works, told an estimated 2 500 Cosatu members outside Parliament during the march against state capture that the rot in government had to come to an end.
Cronin was the only deputy minister and ANC MP who joined the protest in Cape Town yesterday. This was despite calls from Cosatu for cabinet members to join marches across the country.
Cronin said fighting state capture was important for the country.
“Here, in government, because I am part of government, we think billions are taken out of the country every year and that represents 76 000 jobs,” he said about state capture. “We think the private sector takes R170bn out of the country every year.”
He said the looting at stateowned entities has led to billions of rand being lost.
Despite this, Cronin said some battles had been won in the war on state capture. . The Bank of Baroda will be the last bank to close its accounts with the Guptas at the end of this week.
Auditing firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo also cut ties with the Guptas this week after auditing their books for 18 months.
Cronin also called for a commission of inquiry into state capture and said President Jacob Zuma must do what the public protector directed him to do in the report.
This is to allow Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng to appoint a judge to head the inquiry.
Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich warned that despite the federation’s support for Cyril Ramaphosa in December this was not a blank cheque. “This is a message to Parliament. Even though we support Cyril Ramaphosa we are not giving anyone a blank cheque. In the past we trusted the leadership of the ANC but because of Jacob Zuma, the Guptas and others we don’t.”
‘We support Ramaphosa but we are not giving anyone a blank cheque’