Archbishop calls for arrests

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba hopes that 2020 will be “the year of the orange jump suit” as those involved in state capture are brought to trial and convicted.

Makgoba also warned against putting pressure on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to rush its work, saying the NPA needed to be given space to prepare watertight cases.

“Botched prosecutions and widespread acquittals would be a disaster, sending the wrong signals to the corrupt and plunging the country into despair,” he said.

Makgoba was delivering his Christmas sermon at Midnight Mass in St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town.

He criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa, his Cabinet and parliament, saying they were excellent talkers, good enough to “talk a dog down from a meat truck”.

“But when it comes to improving service delivery, delivering basic healthcare and bringing our education system up to global standards to ensure equality of opportunity for all our children, their words are empty and actionless.

“Transform the market economy from a self-serving mechanism for elites to one less exploitative, that both serves our environment and distributes resources and income more equitably,” he said.

“Here in South Africa, we hope it is the year of the orange jump suit, a year of reckoning for those whose greed has driven the country to the brink of disaster. I don’t want to appear vindictive. Nor do I want to join the ranks of those who would put undue pressure on prosecutors to rush their work.”

Makgoba said NPA boss Shamila Batohi, investigative directorate head Hermione Cronje and their teams at the NPA needed to be given the space to do their jobs properly and to prepare watertight cases which secure convictions.

“But there must be consequences for corruption, both for those in the private sector, who facilitate it, and those in the public sector, who take advantage of it. The justice, the peace, the reconciliation and the abundant life which a flourishing democracy promises will be achieved only if those who threaten to subvert it are held accountable.

“So, I pray that our hope is not misplaced,” he said.

Makgoba said government have had nearly two years to get its act together, rebuild national and international trust and begin to keep the many promises it has made. –

Parliamentarians are good talkers, good enough to talk a dog down from a meat truck.

Thabo Makgoba Archbishop

In delivering his Christmas sermon in St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town on Tuesday, Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba hit the nail on its head when he said he hoped 2020 would be “the year of the orange jump suit”. South Africans are beyond frustrated that nothing has come of those implicated in state capture. No one has been convicted after more than a year of the commission of inquiry, headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

Countless descriptions of deep-rooted corruption have surfaced at the inquiry, yet there has been no action.

“Here in South Africa, we hope it is the year of the orange jump suit, a year of reckoning for those whose greed has driven the country to the brink of disaster,” said Makgoba.

“I don’t want to appear vindictive. Nor do I want to join the ranks of those who would put undue pressure on prosecutors to rush their work,” said the archbishop. “Shamila Batohi, Hermione Cronje and their teams at the NPA need to be given the space to do their jobs properly and to prepare watertight cases which secure convictions.

“The justice, the peace, the reconciliation and the abundant life which a flourishing democracy promises will be achieved only if those who threaten to subvert it are held accountable. So I pray that our hope is not misplaced.

“The leaders of our government have had nearly two years to get their act together, rebuild national and international trust and begin to keep the many promises they’ve made to us.

“We need to believe we can do better. We need to believe we must do better. We need to believe we will do better. And let us start by examining ourselves: instead of complaining about what the government hasn’t done for us, ask what it is that you can do for your neighbour.”

Let’s hope 2020 is the year of action.