State capture

The report details the systemic corruption in South Africa known as 'state capture,' focusing on the influence of the Gupta family over the administration of former President Jacob Zuma. It describes the manipulation of cabinet appointments, the hollowing out of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and the use of political connections to secure lucrative state contracts. The document assesses the role of the Zondo Commission and the Public Protector in uncovering these activities and emphasizes the necessity of prosecutions to restore public trust in democratic institutions.

• State capture in South Africa is characterized by the Gupta family's ability to influence high-level government appointments and policy to benefit their private businesses, including the alleged offer of the Finance Minister position to Mcebisi Jonas in exchange for removing senior Treasury officials.
• The corruption extended to state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which are now in a critical state. A primary example is Eskom, which allegedly provided a highly generous coal supply contract to the Gupta-linked firm Tegeta Exploration and Resources, including a prepayment of over R659 million that may have been used to fund Tegeta's purchase of Optimum Coal Holdings.
• The Zondo Commission and the Public Protector's investigations have been vital for democracy by exposing the depth of corruption and demonstrating that high-ranking officials, including former President Jacob Zuma, are not above the law.
• State capture is not limited to the government but has compromised the private sector, including 'captured boards' and the involvement of auditing firms like KPMG and PR firms like Bell Pottinger in facilitating or defending the corruption.
• Despite the findings of the Zondo Commission and the Public Protector, many politicians linked to state capture remain in office, and the Guptas have largely avoided accountability by decamping to Dubai.
• The restoration of public faith in the justice system and democratic institutions depends on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) successfully pursuing prosecutions and imprisonments based on the Zondo Commission's findings.

APA

February, J. (2019). State capture. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-25.pdf

Chicago

February, Judith. State capture. Institute for Security Studies, 2019. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-25.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=February |first1=Judith |title=State capture |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=September 2019 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-25.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{february2019state, author = {February, Judith}, title = {{State capture}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/sar-25.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }