The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the R358 million fine imposed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) upon Steinhoff co-accused, Mr. Stehan Grobler, for his role in the infamous Steinhoff heist.  Mr. Grobler is due to appear in court in May on a separate criminal charge. 

This is a welcome and long overdue victory, albeit after so many years, for workers and pensioners who saw R24 billion in pension and other funds lost in the Steinhoff heist, one of the most notorious in South African history.  Whilst appreciating this victory and earlier fines and convictions for some of the Steinhoff accused, COSATU is deeply disappointed that eight years down the road, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has yet to conclude the prosecution and conviction of all involved in the Steinhoff theft and much of the stolen funds remain unaccounted for. 

For years the leadership of the NPA offered meaningless platitudes to the public that it is busy building a case to ensure justice for the victims of Steinhoff with few convictions to show for their losses and pain.  Whilst the NPA’s leadership has been slumbering their way through life, key perpetrators of the Steinhoff heist have mostly escaped justice. 

The consequences of the embarrassing failures by the NPA to act for many years, have not only been felt by the workers and pensioners who were robbed of their hard-earned savings, but the nation at large. 

Workers paid a further price to state capture and corruption with the nation’s resulting grey listing.  International investors and pension funds are extremely reluctant and often prohibited from investing in grey listed or sanctioned economies.  This period of grey listing was a painful blow for a stagnant economy bleeding jobs and battling a 41.1% unemployment rate.  Whilst the African National Congress led Government and Parliament have made positive progress to secure South Africa’s exit from grey listing, we cannot afford to be complacent.

The NPA’s less than inspiring performance must ring alarm bells in Government and Parliament.  Interventions are needed to ensure the NPA has the resources it requires to win the war against crime and corruption, in particular filling of prosecutorial and other critical vacancies.  The Courts too, need to be given the resources required to end the massive backlog in cases and expedite those involving serious commercial crimes.

COSATU welcomes Advocate Andy Mothibi’s taking over as the National Director of Public Prosecutions.  The NPA desperately needs leadership with the necessary passion and hunger for justice and the capacity to deliver.  Society, in particular the working class, needs to see the tide turning in the war against crime and corruption.  Key to winning this war is fixing the state, growing the economy, creating jobs and improving the lives of all South Africans.  Society is correctly impatient and expects more from government.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za