By OBAKENG MAJE

The executive mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema, Khumalo Molefe said, they will not be apologetic in honouring the fallen heroes, who contributed immensely to the development of this country, especially in the North West.

Molefe, who was a keynote speaker during the commemoration of Dr Silas Modiri Molema said, Molema was a teacher, intellectual, author and one of the giants who ever walked on this planet earth.

“Today, we are celebrating the life and times of a great giant, who walked on this planet earth. Dr Silas Modiri Molema wanted to change the world and made it a better place. Truly, we have not done enough to celebrate this hero and martyr.

“People like Dr Silas Modiri Molema, laid the foundation and contributed immensely to change the world and make it a better place. So, this is the 57^th anniversary, since he departed this world,” he said.

Molefe further said, Molema strongly believed in education and he was a selfless individual. He added, many people do not know him as one of the acclaimed leaders of the ANC.

“We have not invested sufficient effort in writing our contribution to the history of democracy. It is humbling to hear that, Dr Silas Modiri Molema transformed his house into a healthcare centre and provided the services even after hours.

“He went to exile and his presence, contribution and influence were remarkable. So, we will not be apologetic in celebrating our heroes. As the municipality, we will be building a perimeter wall in his honour,” said Molefe.

Meanwhile, the family spokesperson, Patrick Kgwadi shared the same sentiments. However, Kgwadi said, even though they welcome the commemoration, Molema would not be happy with the status quo of the province. 

He said it seems the current leadership is not doing anything to address the treble challenges such as unemployment, inequality and poverty.

“The government’s failure to render services to the people is a challenge. Molema was a selfless man, who sacrificed his life for liberation and would be disappointed if his actions were in vain. He was part of the ruling party when it was established in 1912.

“Molema went to exile very determined and dedicated to developing his own people. He came back with a wealth of education and besides being a medical practitioner, he was also an educationalist,” he said.

Kgwadi said, Molema was also a community man, who always supported and encouraged people to start their own businesses.

“For instance, farming was so close to his heart because he was a farmer too. So, he used to assist farmers with the necessary support as a community leader, which our government fails to do dismally,” Kgwadi said.

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By CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

The announcement by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) last week that it had reached a settlement with an international company implicated in corruption at Eskom is a huge development in our effort to hold those responsible for state capture to account.

The NPA Investigating Directorate finalised a landmark agreement with Swiss engineering company ABB Ltd to pay R2.5 billion in punitive reparations to South Africa. This in connection with bribes allegedly paid to obtain contracts with Eskom between 2014 and 2017.

This amount, which will be paid into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account, is in addition to R1.6 billion that ABB paid Eskom in 2020 to settle an investigation into allegedly criminal conduct involving contracts at the Kusile power station. Importantly, the current settlement does not indemnify the company or its staff from prosecution.

For the last five years, we have been working hard to end the looting of resources meant for the benefit of South Africa’s people, to prosecute those responsible and recover stolen funds.

When we embarked on this journey, we understood that the results would not be felt overnight.

We first had to rebuild state institutions that had been deliberately weakened, emptied of expertise and rendered incapable of preventing capture by criminal elements. We had to strengthen law enforcement institutions and shield them from outside interference.

One of the most important steps we took was to establish, in 2019, the Investigating Directorate in the NPA to deal with cases emanating from the state capture commission and other corruption-related offences. We recently announced plans to make the Investigating Directorate a permanent structure.

We are now seeing the results of this work. The fight against state capture and corruption is gaining momentum.

In the last few months, several cases have been brought to court, with former executives of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) like Eskom and Transnet charged alongside business people for allegedly colluding to steal public funds.

In addition to the arrests of those implicated in wrongdoing and bringing the cases to court, progress is being made in other areas as well where there has been malfeasance.

For example, work is continuing at Eskom to recover money from irregular and corrupt contracts, recover overpayments and bill contractors for project over-runs.

The Special Investigating Unit continues with its investigations into corruption and mismanagement at state institutions and SOEs, with its Special Tribunal empowered to recover stolen funds.

The South African Revenue Service continues to fight corruption through lifestyle audits and other legislative tools. It is piloting a new unexplained wealth initiative to recover assets suspected of having been acquired illegally or through the proceeds of crime.

The NPA, through the Investigating Directorate, the Asset Forfeiture Unit and other structures, is successfully using preservation orders, asset forfeiture and other tools to tighten the noose around those involved in corrupt activities.

Many of those involved in state capture and their enablers in the private sector saw nothing wrong with diverting public funds to private pockets. At the height of the state capture era, unscrupulous politicians repurposed state institutions for private enrichment and to cover their tracks.

Today we have law enforcement authorities and a prosecuting authority devoted to investigating and prosecuting without fear or favour. We have state institutions committed to fulfilling their respective mandates regardless of the status or influence of any individual or a company.

As a society, we need to give these agencies and the people working in them our full support and encouragement. We need to guard against any efforts to weaken these institutions or undermine their resolve.

Working together, we have, within a relatively short space of time, rebuilt the supporting architecture to investigate and prosecute serious corruption and other crimes.

I have always said that the fight against corruption will not be won easily or quickly, given how many years it took for patronage and graft to become entrenched.

Now that we see that progress is being made, we must do everything we can to ensure that this work continues unhindered and that none of the gains we have made are reversed.

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