South Africa Inquiry Finds Systemic Corruption During Zuma Era

JAKARTADAILY.ID - South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has received the first installment of a long-awaited report on past president Jacob Zuma's corruption in the country, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

South Africa's politics have been clouded by years of scandals before the inquiry chaired by senior judge Raymond Zondo was set up in 2018. Zuma held power for nine years from 2009, during which high-level graft allegations arose.

Zuma is accused of having allowed businessmen close to him, the Gupta brothers, to plunder state resources and influence policymaking, a phenomenon referred to as "state capture" in South Africa.

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The first installment of the Zondo commission report outlined corruption allegations involving state airline South African Airways (SAA) and related entities, a Gupta-controlled media company, and a revenue service.

In July, Zuma was jailed for contempt of court following his refusal to cooperate with the inquiry and denial of wrongdoing. He was then placed on medical parole in September before being incarcerated again by the high court.

Gupta family members, who also deny any wrongdoing, fled South Africa as soon as Ramaphosa took over the leadership of the ruling African National Congress party, to which both Guptas belong.

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After receiving the first portion of the report from Zondo at a ceremony at the Union Buildings, Ramaphosa announced a strategy to implement the inquiry's findings by the end of June.

Despite many criticizing him for failing to do enough to stop corruption when he was Zuma's deputy between May 2014 and February 2018, Ramaphosa has made tackling the issue a priority since he took over as president.