Ramaphosa agrees institutional reform needed to root out corruption

CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa said he agrees with the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council that institutional reform is necessary to root out corruption that has flourished in public institutions.

Dedicating his weekly newsletter to the fight against corruption, Ramaphosa pointed out that it’s not only in government that corruption is rife.

He said tax evasion, market manipulation, inflated contracts and tender collusion by business are all causing significant harm to the economy but receive less attention than corruption within the State.

After three years of work, the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council recently handed over its report to Ramaphosa, recommending the need for an independent, anti-corruption body to be known as the Office of Public Integrity.

Part of its mandate would be to prevent corruption from happening in the first place.

Ramaphosa said it’s evident from the work of the council that the fight against corruption involves the dismantling of patronage systems that have become entrenched over many years.

In this week’s newsletter, Ramaphosa has lauded law enforcement agencies for the arrests and convictions of corruption-accused but said the corruption fight is a complex one that prevents corruption.

“While there is a justifiable public expectation that there should be more convictions – including of those implicated in state capture – fighting corruption extends way beyond putting culprits in the dock,” wrote Ramaphosa.

The president said it’s necessary to fix systems that have facilitated corruption and to build transparent, accountable and ethical institutions.