The fight against corruption in South Africa is gaining some steam. It’s been bolstered partly by initiatives like President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Act, which established the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) as a permanent and adequately empowered entity. In recent weeks, there have been notable arrests linked to State Capture and a growing pushback against corruption and those accused of corruption. Let’s take a look at some of these:

  • British businessman Michael Lomas was extradited to South Africa due to a R745 million fraud and corruption scandal tied to Eskom’s Kusile Power Station. Lomas faces fraud charges, unauthorised rewards, and money laundering alongside four other accused individuals. His co-accused include former Eskom executives Abram Masango and France Hlakudi and contractors Antonio José Trindade and Hudson Kgomoeswana. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU), in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Hawks, uncovered significant evidence during a 2018 investigation into Eskom’s procurement processes. Lomas’s extradition marks a significant victory in South Africa’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy to purge state-owned entities of corruption.
  • KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi has demanded that eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba investigate ongoing corruption allegations or risk the metro being placed under full administration. Whistleblowers have accused municipal manager Musa Mbhele of manipulating the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU) to protect former mayor Zandile Gumede from prosecution. The alleged corruption involves deliberately blocking crucial investigations, reflecting the broader challenge of political interference in local governance.
  • An ANC branch chairperson and a municipal official were arrested for allegedly sending threatening emails to a contractor working on a multimillion-rand internet fibre installation project. The emails, which included threats to sabotage the project, demanded large sums of money. The two were arrested in a sting operation conducted by the Hawks, but the NPA has yet to bring charges, citing the need for further investigation. Despite evidence, including the use of municipal resources in the extortion, the NPA has classified the case as civil, leaving police and contractors baffled by the lack of criminal prosecution​
  • A forensic investigation has revealed that 32 employees and two MPLs defrauded the Gauteng Provincial Legislature by submitting fraudulent travel claims during the COVID-19 lockdown. When former legislature secretary Peter Skosana attempted to recover the funds and initiate disciplinary processes, former legislature speaker Ntombi Mekgwe and ANC officials intervened, halting the proceedings to avoid losing political support ahead of the 2024 elections. Skosana was subsequently dismissed after being accused of undermining the ANC’s election efforts, and the implicated MPLs—Nomvuyo Mhlakaza-Manamela and Lesego Makhubela—have yet to repay the misused funds. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has since demanded the immediate resignation of the involved officials and submitted an urgent ethics complaint.

Although these measures are a step in the right direction, it’s still a drop in the ocean in addressing the damage done by the State Capture years to Mzansi. We’re hoping for more arrests and, even better, convictions for corrupt politicians.