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[nectar_dropcap color=”#27ccc0″]L[/nectar_dropcap]ast week, Ivor Chipkin, as a member of the State Capacity Research Group, and along with the South African Council of Churches, made a submission to Parliament’s portfolio committee of public enterprises. This hearing was in preparation for the committee’s inquiry into Eskom and other state-owned enterprises in the context of state capture.

 

As quoted in the Business Day, “Chipkin said there had been a profound weakening of state institutions and a generalisation of criminality across the state and not only in national departments. The ability of state institutions to perform their mandates had deteriorated largely because they were politicised.”

 

The presentation lays out the bare bones of the “silent coup” that has taken place in South Africa, as documented in the report Betrayal of the Promise: How South Africa is being stolen:

 

At the epicentre of this political project is a rhetorical commitment to radical economic transformation which, the report argues, is being used as an ideological smokescreen to mask the extensive ‘repurposing’ of state institutions to direct rents away from development and into the hands of a Zuma-centred power elite.

 

The parliamentary inquiry is part of a broader series of inquiries by the National Assembly into state capture. The inquiry is due to start in August and the portfolio committee is preparing a list of witnesses to testify.

 

According to parliamentary writer Khulekani Magubane, it is highly likely that Eskom finance chief and members of the Gupta family will be summoned to answer questions about state capture.

See the presentation to the portfolio committee Here
See the presentation to the portfolio committee Here

Pravin Gordhan: How long does it take to rebuild an institution of state damaged by corruption? Is it 1, 2, 3 years?

Ivor Chipkin: As long as it takes to respect the autonomy of administrations, professionalise appointments and reduce politicisation.