11 January 2022

Business Unity SA’s update on the response to part one of the Zondo commission report

The BUSA Board convened a special meeting on Monday, 10th January 2022 to consider BUSA’s response to Part 1 of the Zondo Commission Report. We convened a special meeting at short notice because we believe the release of Part 1 of the Report reflects an inflection point in our country and all sectors of society must seriously consider the recommendations made by Judge Zondo and also interrogate the Report. The BUSA Board indicated its intention to urgently engage with BUSA members to ensure we have a comprehensive response, and position, on the Report. The Board was clear that business must utilise the Report for very serious introspection and develop a position that reflects serious consideration of the involvement of businesses in the state capture saga.

 

We believe the recommendations in the Report relating to investigations and prosecution of identified parties must be pursued with urgency and we expect the criminal justice system to allocate the necessary resources to ensure speedy investigations and prosecution.

 

BUSA supports all the recommendations in the Report under section (J) of the Report, starting on Page 844 of the Report. We discussed, in particular, the issue of protection of whistle-blowers and a role for business in addressing the dire circumstances some of the whistle-blowers are in. We will work with government and other social partners to contribute to the urgent implementation of the recommendations contained in section (J) of the Report.

 

The BUSA Board further agreed the following:

 

We will look at some initiatives already underway to bolster the capacity of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). We will coordinate initiatives by our members into a serious and concerted mechanism to provide necessary resources to the NPA to urgently prepare cases to prosecute those identified in the Report. Such resources could include private prosecutors and other relevant assistance. We will engage the NPA about this.

 

The BUSA Board has asked relevant members to urgently engage with any businesses mentioned in the Report, in order to get a full briefing from those businesses about the allegations and to understand what actions those businesses intend taking. The outcome of these urgent engagements will inform BUSA’s position on these aspects of the Report.

 

In conclusion, we must emphasize that we will address the outcomes of Part 1 of the Zondo Commission Report with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. We are, however, an organisation of business associations and have the responsibility to engage members and ensure due process in arriving at a mandated position on the Report. We are processing this with utmost urgency!

 

ENDS

 

Cas Coovadia

Business Unity SA CEO

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For more information, please contact:

Sizwe Maswanganye

Tel: 011 784 8000

Email: sizwe.maswanganye@busa.org.za

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