STATEMENT BY FORMER DIRECTORS GENERAL

A statement by 27 former Directors General of the South African government calling for an Independent Public Inquiry into 'state capture' by the Gupta family and associated companies.

• A group of 27 former Directors General who served in the South African government since 1994 expressed concern that 'state capture' by the Gupta family is undermining confidence in state institutions. They cite reports of the Guptas' influence over political and administrative appointments and their alleged role in the "irregular facilitation, securing and issuing of government tenders and contracts".
• The former Directors General call for the establishment of an Independent Public Inquiry under Section 4(1)(a) of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act. They recommend the commission be established within three months and provide a public progress report within six months, investigating senior officials who may have contravened the Constitution, the Public Service Act, and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) in their dealings with the Guptas.
• The group identifies several possible legislative breaches related to Gupta involvement in Ministerial appointments and tender manipulation, specifically citing Section 91(2), Section 96 (1) and (2a, b, and c), Schedule 2, Chapter 10 Section 195(1), and Chapter 10 Section 195(4) of the Constitution, as well as Section 64 of the PFMA Act.
• The statement requests specific investigations by state bodies: the Auditor General and Chief Procurement Officer should assess the compliance of Gupta-associated contracts with the PFMA and the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act of 2000; the Public Service Commission should investigate irregular appointments in critical positions; and the National Treasury should investigate illicit financial flows out of South Africa.
• The authors express concern that the Constitutional Court judgement regarding the Nkandla matter has negatively impacted the government's ability to focus on delivering services, growing the economy, and achieving developmental and transformation goals.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (2016). STATEMENT BY FORMER DIRECTORS GENERAL. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DG-Statement-2016-MEDIA-12-MAY.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. STATEMENT BY FORMER DIRECTORS GENERAL. 2016. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DG-Statement-2016-MEDIA-12-MAY.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=STATEMENT BY FORMER DIRECTORS GENERAL |date=15 May 2016 |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DG-Statement-2016-MEDIA-12-MAY.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{publicaffairsresearchinstitute2016statement, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{STATEMENT BY FORMER DIRECTORS GENERAL}}, publisher = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DG-Statement-2016-MEDIA-12-MAY.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }