Diminished confidence in courts

State Capture severely impacted South Africa, particularly during President Jacob Zuma’s administration when private interests, notably the Gupta family, heavily influenced government institutions and policies. This led to the appointment of compliant officials in key positions, allowing the Guptas to exert significant control over state-owned enterprises and government bodies.

State Capture weakened public institutions and state-owned enterprises, leading to a decline in their ability to deliver services, protect public funds, prosecute criminals, and uphold their constitutional obligations. Public confidence in the courts and the state has been severely diminished.

The role of the Special Tribunal and Specialised Commercial Crimes Courts

In 2019, the Special Tribunal was established to tackle corruption, fraud, and illicit money flows. It works with eight judges to recover public funds siphoned from the state through corruption and fraud. Alongside it, the Specialised Commercial Crime Courts, established in 1999, handle complex commercial crime cases. Together, they play a crucial role in combating state capture.

Monitoring corruption cases

The Progress Report tracks corruption cases in the Special Tribunal and Specialised Commercial Crimes Courts. We aim to show how institutions like the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Courts are performing in their fight against corruption.

Currently, the SIU and the Special Tribunal have cases worth R14.7 billion ready for adjudication. We review SIU annual reports to see how much money has been recovered and returned to the state. Our goal is to raise public awareness that justice, even if slow, is being served, and efforts are being made to hold corrupt individuals accountable.