PRETORIA: South Africa is strengthening the capabilities of law enforcement agencies to crack down on corruption and bring perpetrators to justice. This anti-corruption rallying call was made by President Cyril Ramaphosa when he delivered the first State of the Nation Address of the seventh administration on Thursday evening.

According to South African Government News Agency, the fight against corruption intensified last year with the establishment of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption as a permanent entity of the National Prosecuting Authority. The directorate is focused on investigating and prosecuting high-level corruption cases in the country.

President Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of fully resourcing the directorate and ensuring it has access to necessary information to prosecute state capture cases and hold those responsible accountable. He announced the establishment of a digital forensics lab to support the investigation of complex corruption and financial crimes.

The President also highlighted steps being taken, based on the Zondo Commission’s recommendations, to safeguard government funds against corruption and recover money stolen through state capture. He noted the progress in implementing the State Capture Commission’s recommendations, including legislative reforms and the recovery of over R10 billion in state capture-related cases by the Special Investigating Unit and Asset Forfeiture Unit.

Further efforts are underway to strengthen anti-corruption legislation. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development will report on the review of the anti-corruption framework to streamline legislation and improve cooperation between law enforcement agencies. Additionally, plans to introduce the Whistleblower Protections Bill in Parliament aim to enhance whistleblower protection.

Addressing the country’s placement on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist, President Ramaphosa assured that significant progress has been made in addressing the identified weaknesses in South Africa’s law enforcement system, with 16 out of 22 action items fully addressed. The President committed to further strengthening systems to combat money laundering and terror financing to facilitate the country’s removal from the greylist.