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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.

The People's Tribunal on Economic Crime recommends urgent investigations and prosecutions into three areas of economic crime in South Africa: apartheid-era UN sanctions violations, the 1999 Arms Deal, and state capture. The Tribunal argues that sanctions-busting during apartheid aided crimes against humanity and created a culture of corruption that enabled the 1999 Arms Deal and subsequent state capture. Key recommendations include establishing a special prosecutorial team within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to investigate entities like Kredietbank and the French government, and creating a specialised commission and tribunal for crimes against humanity.

The document examines the systemic risks posed by unregulated private funding of political parties in South Africa, specifically focusing on how the ruling ANC and the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) manage their finances. It argues that the absence of disclosure laws allows for 'influence-peddling' and 'crony capitalism,' particularly through the distortion of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies. The paper highlights several scandals, including 'Oilgate' and the 'arms deal,' and provides a detailed case study of Chancellor House as a corporate front used by the ANC to accumulate wealth in the minerals and energy sectors, often in partnership with foreign interests like Russia's Renova group.

Global Witness alleges that Claudia Sassou-Nguesso, daughter of the President of the Republic of the Congo, used approximately $20 million in diverted public funds to purchase a $7.1 million luxury apartment (unit 32G) at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Manhattan. The investigation details a complex financial trail involving the Brazilian company Asperbras, which allegedly inflated contracts for geological mapping and hospital construction in the Congo. Funds were routed through a Delaware subsidiary (Asperbras LLC), a British Virgin Islands entity (Energy & Mining Asp. Inc.), and a Cypriot shell company (Sebrit Limited) controlled by intermediary José Veiga on behalf of Sassou-Nguesso. The purchase was facilitated by the law firm K&L Gates LLP via a New York shell company, Ecree LLC. Global Witness argues that the Trump Organization and K&L Gates failed to perform adequate due diligence on a Politically Exposed Person (PEP), potentially facilitating money laundering.

The report details how Transnet's governance was repurposed to facilitate large-scale corruption, primarily through procurement fraud involving the Gupta family and their associates. It examines specific irregular contracts for locomotives, port cranes, and IT services, highlighting the role of captured executives and board members in bypassing competitive tenders and inflating costs. The document also describes the systematic hollowing out of Transnet's internal treasury and oversight functions to allow for rent-seeking and money laundering.