A prominent South African politician has denounced the country’s state capture inquiry – which unveiled what was called the biggest corruption scandal since apartheid – as “fiction” and “nonsense”.
Floyd Shivambu, who recently defected from the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to become secretary general of former President Jacob Zuma’s MK party, made his comments during a television interview.
“Let me be emphatic – the biggest scam in South Africa’s political history was this rubbish called the state capture narrative,” Mr Shivambu told Newzroom Afrika.
The remarks represent a striking reversal from Mr Shivambu, who had been among the loudest voices condemning alleged corruption under Mr Zuma’s presidency.
The state capture inquiry, led by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, spent four years investigating claims of systematic looting of state resources during Mr Zuma’s 2009-2018 presidency. Its final report detailed how an estimated 50bn rand ($2.6bn; £2.1bn) was allegedly siphoned from state enterprises.
“We were driven into a wrong agenda,” Mr Shivambu said, defending his change of position. “We pursued President Zuma because he refused to bow to the white capitalist establishment.”
He also spoke in support of former executives of state-owned companies who faced corruption charges, including ex-Eskom head Brian Molefe.
“The charges against Commander Molefe were dropped,” Mr Shivambu said. “There is no meaningful case against any of our members.”
His comments come as South Africa grapples with ongoing power cuts and economic challenges that critics link to years of mismanagement at state enterprises.
The MK party, which draws its strongest support from Mr Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal, has positioned itself as a champion of “radical economic transformation” ahead of this year’s general election.
Anti-corruption experts say the limited number of prosecutions following the inquiry has fuelled skepticism about its findings among some South Africans.
Mr Zuma has consistently denied wrongdoing and refused to fully participate in the inquiry, leading to a jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021.
