CAPE TOWN - Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has yet to make its position known on whether or not it will distance itself from controversial consulting firm Bain & Company, which has been implicated in the first part of the Zondo commission’s state capture report.
In 2018, BLSA announced the suspension of Bain with immediate effect, citing its anti-corruption oath, the Integrity Pledge, following revelations in the Nugent Commission of Inquiry into the state capture at the SA Revenue Services (Sars). However, in September last year,
BLSA reportedly lifted Bain’s suspension. BLSA did not respond to questions on Thursday.
Bain meanwhile said that while they remain supportive of the Commission and its work, they were “disappointed” that Part I of the Commission’s report “mischaracterises” Bain’s role at Sars.
“While we made mistakes in our work with Sars, we remain confident that we did not in any way wilfully or knowingly support state capture at Sars or elsewhere. There are no new facts considered in this report; the report relies heavily on the affidavit and testimony of one witness who admitted to having “no first-hand knowledge” of Bain’s work at SARS.
“Bain submitted two detailed affidavits to the commission, neither of which appear to have been factored into the report. Bain has offered full co-operation to enforcement authorities and will continue to do so,” the company said in a statement.
Meanwhile, whistleblower, acclaimed author and academic Athol Williams, who suffered major career blows following his testimony at the Zondo Commission – said he was doing much better and feeling safe where he was despite longing to come home and an insecure legal status.
Williams had testified at the state capture inquiry and subsequently had to flee the country in November last year in fear of his life.
In a 700-page affidavit, Williams blew the whistle on Bain and its plans to weaken Sars during the tenure of former commissioner Tom Moyane.
“When I realised what they (Bain) were doing in South Africa, there was no way I was going to allow that, that’s when I resigned,” he said.
Concerns for his safety grew not only after he testified but also after the murder of Gauteng Health Department whistle-blower Babita Deokaran.
Speaking from an undisclosed location on Thursday, Williams told the Cape Times South Africa is his home and he absolutely wanted to come back.
“I am doing much better. The difficulty is my legal status is very insecure because I am not a citizen, I am squatting,” said Williams.
“South Africa is my home. I absolutely want to come back, that’s
what I’m fighting for. “I’m angry that my government hasn’t supported me and forced me to leave.” He said however that “big things” needed to happen before he could do that.
“Some prosecutions need to happen to show that which I’ve gone through produced some results. The government has left me exposed, I testified publicly and they’ve left me without protection,” he said.
He added that the four things whistleblowers needed was legal support and protection, financial support, medical support and reputational support.
While the Commission recommended a percentage of funds recovered should go to whistleblowers as an incentive, “it does not address those four issues”, said Williams.
Despite this, Williams added that he stands by what he did and would do it again for his country.
What stood out for him from the findings in the first part of the Zondo Commission’s report, was that Bain’s involvement with Sars was found to be unlawful.
Cape Times