Durban – Former public protector advocate Thuli Madonsela has again called for a commission of inquiry into her State Capture report to prove if the Gupta family held undue influence over certain government departments and entities.
Madonsela told members of the Cape Press Club on Monday that, based on her investigation into state capture allegations, she questioned who really ran the country.
Madonsela was discussing her experiences as public protector.
She said going in to the position, she had seen the institution as a refuge for those who had been wronged by state institutions, but came to see its potential as a catalyst for change.
Madonsela said one of the most important things the government needed to do was bridge the gap of mistrust between the state and its people.
She said the establishment of a commission of the inquiry into allegations the Gupta family had undue influence over the government was a good place to start.
She said it was her opinion that the inquiry would provide an open, transparent platform to finally clarify whether there was undue influence by the Gupta family in appointing ministers or board members to state-owned companies.
Madonsela said President Jacob Zuma was too heavily implicated in the matter to appoint the commission’s head.
When asked if she knew who really ran the country, Madonsela said even though there was an official government in place, only the commission would test the allegations brought forward and bridge the trust deficit.
“Some of the information I gathered during the investigation made me question who really ran the country.”
In the wake of the ANC’s succession debate, Madonsela weighed in on the calibre of president the country deserved, saying she would love for it to be a woman.
“The president we elect must make sure we build a united South Africa to make sure there is growth and redistribution, for as long as the face of poverty is black and female and the face for wealth is white and male, that is a recipe for disaster,” she said.