ANC stalwart Sipho Pityana has urged South Africans to work together to ensure corrupt officials are rooted out of society.
He referred to President Jacob Zuma as “my dear Number 783”, in an apparent reference to the 783 spy-tapes and corruption-related charges the president faces.
Pityana, who is also AngloGold Ashanti chief executive, was addressing the Save South Africa campaign’s media briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday.
He later addressed the gathering where various speakers took turns on the podium lashing out at corrupt leaders.
Former ANC executive committee member and anti-apartheid stalwart Cheryl Carolus said South Africa was in a crisis and continued to betray its young people.
“As a country, we could have done better if there was leadership. We have failed our people on the fees crisis,” she said.
“We have reached a point where we feel that the people of this country, including us in the ANC, have to take a stand and draw a line in the sand.
"We are appalled that a small handful of people have decided that they would capture the state, its institutions and resources for their own benefit.
“The only people who can stop them are the good men and good women. We want to start with the good men and good women in the ANC.”
Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, an executive member of the National Religious Leaders Council, which represents faith-based organisations, said South Africa was at a crossroads.
“We're at a crucial stage. We're actually at a crossroads. That's why we're all gathered here this morning.
“There is a titanic struggle taking place between forces of good and forces of evil. Forces of corruption and state capture against forces of decency and ethics. If good people remain silent in times of challenge, then evil will triumph,” said Goldstein.
“The current struggle can be summed up in one word, which goes to the heart of this matter, and that is 'sovereignty'. Who is really sovereign in this country?
“Is the government elected by the people, for the people, exercising sovereignty on behalf of the people, or does the very sovereignty of this country belong to a few corrupt families and those who benefit from them?”
He said that when “undue influence is made on the appointment of cabinet ministers”, it meant the appointments were done to serve a minority.
Treatment Action Campaign general secretary Anele Yawa appealed to South Africans from all walks of life to take up the fight against state capture and corruption because it affected everyone.
“I’m sure many of you are asking yourselves why TAC is here. TAC is here to unapologetically endorse the Save South Africa campaign. As TAC, we know what corruption means. We know what state capture means.
"We know what it means to use government institutions to fight petty party politics. We are against that.”
He said endemic corruption was stifling service delivery across the country.
African News Agency