While opposition parties revelled in the hard-fought victory with the release of Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report, a group of Catholic priests were also quietly celebrating.
In one of the highlights of the report, the former public protector is in conversation with President Jacob Zuma. “As you know, Mr President, regarding allegations that were randomly made in the media but picked up by three complainants. The three complainants are a group of Catholic priests. They were the first ones to complain to us.”
Madonsela’s investigation into “state capture” was precipitated by a letter penned by two of the Dominican Order of Southern Africa’s senior members, Brian Mhlanga and Stanislaus Muyebe, who asked her office to investigate the Gupta family and their possible meddling in state affairs.
Following the report’s release, Muyebe, the order’s vicar general, said: “While the report has revealed a level of truth, [Madonsela’s call for a judicial commission of inquiry] will, we hope, reveal deeper truths.”
Muyebe said that the order was still studying the report but was “very pleased” because “this was the objective we had been working towards, especially with the call for a judicial commission of inquiry”.
Mhlanga, the order’s spokesperson, said: “We’re delighted it has come to this. It’s really good news for South Africa as it shows the country has strong, functioning democratic institutions in place.”
This comes after a falling-out within the order after the priests requested the probe in March. Members were faced with threatening phone calls and infighting. The dissent was caused by the apparent flouting of the order’s rules in making the submission.
Sikhosiphi Mgoza, a former friar general of the priests’ body, said the submission was made without the permission of the order’s governing council and could therefore not be made in the order’s name.
“On matters of public importance, no individual member of the order can speak on behalf of the order. And the order never approved the submission,” he said.
The Dominican Order of Southern Africa is a body of Catholic priests from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and the island of St Helena.
The submission was made to the public protector’s office in the form of a press statement on March 17.
Muyebe, the head of the order, said the submission was made “to speak out on behalf of the poorest of the poor in South Africa”.
Mgoza, however, maintained that the order’s council should have been consulted before the submission was made.
Despite the tensions in the order since the submission, Muyebe insists that no permanent rift has been caused in the order because of it.
“One of the biggest challenges facing our country is corruption,” said Muyebe.
“If the church keeps quiet and does not challenge allegations of corruption, it is betraying its mission to the poorest of the poor in our country.”
The decision to make the report available might well be an affirmation of his view.
“The report being released is testament to the role religious bodies can play in resolving the crisis in ethical leadership we are currently facing in South Africa,” Muyebe added.
Carl Collison is the Other Foundation’s Rainbow Fellow at the Mail & Guardian
