A Tale of Corruption: State Capture, the South African Experience

Abstract

On 9 October 2003, South Africa became a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which was adopted by Resolution 58/4. South Africa ratified the Convention on 22 November 2004. At the time, the Secretary-General of the United Nations stated that the adoption of UNCAC sent a clear message: The international community was determined to prevent and control corruption. Fast forward to June 2022, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo completed the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture. This Commission investigated what became known as state capture, focusing on a period after South Africa had already signed and ratified the UNCAC. I draw this comparison early in my address to give you food for thought as we proceed to explore the similarities and to understand what truly transpired during the state capture era, a unique manifestation of corruption in the South African context.