Implementation of the State Capture Commission recommendations: an institutional perspective on ethics and accountability

Abstract

The Commission's detailed Report attests to the extent and gravity of state capture as revealed through the evidence painstakingly assembled and distilled by the Commission's evidence which has far-reaching implications for the democratic future of the South African state and society. It records the mechanisms used to capture the state, primarily the strategic placement of individuals in positions of power through the abuse of the appointment and dismissal process in the public administration and State Owned Entities (SOEs) such as Eskom, Transnet, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), South African Airways (SAA) and Denel. These placements of politically connected individuals were "the essential mechanism of state capture" and were used to control and manipulate public procurement, financial and contracting processes in SOEs and the public sector more widely for private gain.