‘From the desk of the President’ 03 August 2020

Corruption during a national disaster is a particularly heinous type of crime, and perpetrators are going to be dealt with decisively and harshly. It is difficult to understand the utter lack of conscience that leads a businessperson who has heeded the call to provide lifesaving supplies during a devastating pandemic to inflate the price of a surgical mask by as much as 900%...Attempting to profit from a disaster that is claiming the lives of our people every day is the action of scavengers. It is like a pack of hyenas circling wounded prey.

…As we find ourselves in the grip of the greatest health emergency our country has faced in over a century, we are witnessing theft by individuals and companies with no conscience. We hear stories of alleged corruption in the procurement and deployment of personal protective equipment to fight Covid-19, of companies hiking the prices of essential items during the lockdown and of the illegal diversion of state resources meant for the vulnerable and destitute. This insidious behaviour is not the preserve of smaller companies. There are large companies, including a JSE-listed company, that have been caught, investigated, found guilty and fined for excessive pricing.

…The Competition Commission has made effective use of regulations that prohibit unjustified price hikes to prosecute several companies for excessive pricing. The Auditor-General initiated special audits to detect and prevent the misuse of these funds…Those found to have broken the law to enrich themselves through this crisis will not get to enjoy their spoils, regardless of who they are or with whom they may be connected. I have said that Covid-19 presents us with opportunities to change the way live, do business and govern. This moment is definitely a turning point in the fight against corruption