President Cyril Ramaphosa stated on Monday that government must ensure there is redress, justice and accountability relating to those implicated in the Zondo Commission reports.

Last week, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed Ramaphosa the final instalment of the report into the allegations of State capture, four-and-a-half years after the Commission began its work.

Ramaphosa said South Africa was emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, which he said was a “great national trauma” that caused untold damage, destruction and heartbreak, but pointed out that the State capture era was a different kind of national trauma.

He said State capture’s damage extended beyond the ransacking of the public purse and the destruction of the country’s public institutions.

He said that it was also a betrayal of the values of the country’s Constitution, and of the principles on which the country’s democracy was founded. 

Ramaphosa noted that the “immoral, unethical and criminal behaviour of self-serving individuals in positions of authority” undermined the confidence of South Africans in leaders and institutions.

This had created a trust gap that would take some time to close, he said.

“Having now known what happened and who was involved, our work begins in earnest. We must ensure there is redress, justice and accountability, and that such a shameful period never happens again,” Ramaphosa said.

He said citizens now had an opportunity to make a decisive break with the excesses of the past by building a society free of corruption and a State rooted in ethics, professionalism and capability. 

“We also have an opportunity to reconstruct a society that is more inclusive, more humane, founded in equal opportunity for all, and that protects the most vulnerable,” he added.

COVID-19

Last week, the remaining Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, including limitations on gatherings, international travel and wearing masks in public.

Ramaphosa explained that the decision to lift the restrictions was made in the light of a decline in daily cases, hospitalisations and reported deaths, adding that for the first time in over two years, the country did not have any Covid restrictions in place.

“While there was not much fanfare about the lifting of the last Covid-19 restrictions, there has been a tectonic shift in our national psyche. We are emerging from a great national trauma that caused untold damage, destruction and heartbreak,” he said.

Ramaphosa stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic was not over, and he called for vigilance and caution from citizens to prevent a resurgence. 

“Where many thought it would crumble, our health care system survived. It served our nation well by providing care, saving lives and vaccinating millions. We owe an eternal debt to the courage and dedication of the health workers and many other people on the frontlines of the pandemic,” he said.