Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday signed two crucial Bills into law to tackle corruption and gender-based violence.
“The criminal actions of those involved in corruption and the perpetrators of gender-based violence may differ in nature, but the consequences of both are devastating,” lamented President Ramaphosa.
“Corruption and gender-based violence are affronts to the human dignity that is the inalienable right of every South African.
“These forms of criminality are holding our country back and preventing us from realising our full potential.”
President Ramaphosa explained that the two pieces of legislation that he signed into law form part of the government’s efforts to strengthen institutions, develop partnerships, and build state capacity.
He said the first piece of legislation facilitates the establishment of a National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
“This statutory body will coordinate and provide strategic leadership to the fight against GBV and femicide,” said President Ramaphosa.
“It will be multi-sectoral, drawing on the expertise of all stakeholders, including civil society, labour, and business.”
Establishing this Council was one of the resolutions of the first Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which I convened in 2018.
“Since then, working together, we have made important progress,” he said.
The National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence was developed, together with civil society, as a society-wide response to this national emergency.
“We have founded the Women’s Economic Assembly, collaborating with civil society and business,” said President Ramaphosa.
“This initiative aims to integrate women-owned enterprises into industry value chains, promote sustainable economic development, and empower women economically.”
He said around R21 billion was dedicated over the medium term to the implementation of the six pillars of the plan, including the economic empowerment of women.
“We enacted new laws to strengthen the response of the criminal justice system to gender-based violence,” President Ramaphosa said.
“We have worked to improve the support provided to survivors of gender-based violence through the establishment of new Thuthuzela Care Centres, new Sexual Offences Courts, and victim-friendly rooms at nearly all police stations across the country.
“Through these efforts, we have seen improvements in conviction rates and stricter sentencing.
“While this progress is welcome, our greatest task is to prevent gender-based violence from being perpetrated in the first place.”
The President said signing into law the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Amendment Bill will establish an Investigating Directorate against Corruption as a permanent entity within the entity.
“It has been five years since we established an Investigating Directorate within the NPA to investigate cases of corruption and other serious crimes arising from the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture,” the President said.
“These are five years in which great progress has been made.
To date, the Investigating Directorate has taken 39 state capture and corruption cases to court, involving 212 accused persons and 68 accused entities.
“In the last five years, the NPA has also secured the conviction of almost 700 government officials for corruption,” he said.
The NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit has restrained and preserved ‘state capture’ assets to the value of more than R14 billion.
The President said more than R6 billion has been recovered so far.
“The Investigating Directorate against Corruption will be a permanent, prosecution-led agency with full criminal investigative powers.” he said.
“This legislation will help to overcome challenges with capacity and expertise within the NPA to investigate and prosecute complex corruption cases.
“The Investigating Directorate against Corruption will be able to recruit and retain specialist skills to deliver on its mandate.
“Permanent criminal investigators will be appointed, with full police powers.”
President Ramphosa said the Investigating Directorate against Corruption will be able to reap the benefits of collaboration with the private sector and other social partners.