The Democratic Alliance (DA) has proposed to Parliament the Anti-Corruption Bill, which seeks to introduce an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as an independent, Chapter 9 institution, focused solely on investigating and prosecuting serious corruption cases.

DA justice and constitutional development spokesperson Glynnis Breytenbach said the Anti-Corruption Bill sought to create a fully independent Chapter 9 institution, with its sole mandate being the investigation and prosecution of high-level perpetrators.

Breytenbach pointed out that currently, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was the only institution with the power to prosecute those accused of serious corruption and high-level organised crime.

“…in practice, however, the NPA lacks the institutional independence or the resources to effectively prosecute these complex crimes,” she noted.

Breytenbach explained that the ACC would be “institutionally and operationally” independent.

“…meaning that it will have its own staff and its budget will be determined by the National Treasury and not according to the whims of the Minister or the President,” she stated.

She noted that the members of the ACC would have protected tenure and be subject and responsible only to the Constitution and the rule of law; and would be able to investigate and prosecute serious cases.

“After the madness of the State Capture years, the effects of which we are still feeling, it is high time that we take our country’s battle against corruption to a higher gear,” explained Breytenbach.

She stated that by creating a new unit, expertly staffed and fully independent, with the same status as the Auditor-General or the Public Protector, these high-level crimes could be tackled head-on and further strengthen the country’s democracy free of corruption.