Church witness in context of government corruption and state capture

Allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on July 6, 2025, implicating senior political figures and members of the South African Police Service, have prompted the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) to call for the mobilisation of  “an independent body” to investigate the “allegations as well as broader issues around police leadership and performance.” In a Thursday, July 10, 2025, statement, the SACBC expressed growing alarm that Lt‑Gen Mkhwanazi’s revelations would worsen the already fragile public...

Civil society organizations have applauded the Catholic Bishops for the call that they recently made on the government to establish chapter anti-corruption institution. In their statement released by Bishop Sipuka on 3rd November, the bishops raised concerns “that the investigative Directorate, despite its permanent placement in the National Prosecuting Authority, will not be sufficiently independent of the executive as it can easily be closed down by a simple majority of parliament, as had happened with the case of the...

We, the bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, have noted the President’s implementation plan for the State Capture Report. We welcome the broad reforms that the president has proposed to remedy the gaps in the country’s system of governance, particularly the appointment process for the heads of law enforcement agencies and the boards of state-owned enterprises, the procurement reforms, whistle-blower protection, and the review of political party funding act to criminalise making donations with the expectation of procurement...

The bishops of Southern Africa have condemned “the greed and the indifference displayed by the business and political elite in our country” which has caused “high levels of public sector and private sector corruption”, and called for “a new vision of politics and economy”. In a statement on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s implementation plan for the State Capture Report, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference said the widespread corruption has diverted “resources that the country needs to recover from...

In an open letter to the people of God in South Africa, the members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) say they stand in solidarity with whistleblowers. “We, bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, gathered in plenary from 14-18 August 2023, felt compelled to send a message of gratitude and support to you, honest South Africans, also known as whistleblowers,” say the Bishops in the August 29 letter signed by the SACBC president Bishop...

- "We applaud you for the gift of courage and self-sacrifice in denouncing the corruption in the country", said the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC), which also brings together the Bishops from Botswana and Eswatini, on the role of 'whistleblowers' (referring to employees of a public body or company who report wrongdoing). "We assure you of our continued solidarity and prayers… We applaud you for the gift of courage and self-sacrifice as whistleblowers. Your example of sacrificing...

“Fraternity, Justice, and the Common Good: Government Corruption in South Africa through the Lens of Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutti” Corruption has emerged as one of the most pressing moral, political, and economic challenges in post-apartheid South Africa. Despite the democratic promise of 1994, the intervening decades have revealed how entrenched practices of patronage, clientelism, and state capture have eroded the foundations of governance and trust in public institutions. The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture,...

The Southern African Catholics Bishops Conference has written an open letter to 21 mining companies operating in South Africa asking each to explain why they use tax havens. Their full letter is here and it’s worth reading. They point out, “we are not accusing companies of anything. We believe it is important for companies to provide an explanation for why they use tax havens and the roles of these subsidiary companies.”  Quite so. They ask mining companies pertinent questions, such as: Why does...

The Justice and Peace Commission for Southern African Catholics Bishops Conference (SACBC) has today written an open letter to 21 mining companies operating in South Africa asking each to explain why it is using tax havens. New research conducted for the SACBC Justice and Peace Commission shows that these 21 companies, which include some of the largest in the country such as Anglo American, AngloGold Ashanti, Impala Platinum, LonMin and Petra Diamonds, all have subsidiaries in tax havens,...

The Southern African Catholics Bishops Conference (SACBC) has today written an open letter to 21 mining companies operating in South Africa asking each to explain why it is using tax havens. New research conducted for the SACBC shows that these 21 companies, which include some of the largest in the country, such as Anglo American, AngloGold Ashanti, Impala Platinum, LonMin and Petra Diamonds, all have subsidiaries in tax havens, also known as secrecy jurisdictions: these include the British Virgin...

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Former South African President Jacob Zuma must be accountable for his actions, according to the bishops of the country. Zuma appeared briefly in a courtroom in Durban on April 6 to face corruption charges less than two months after his resignation. The former leader faces sixteen charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering related to a 1990’s arms deal, when he was deputy president. The case fueled public anger against corruption in the country, and...

A letter of gratitude and solidarity for the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives and livelihoods to be whistle-blowers against corruption in South Africa. Dear courageous brothers and sisters, We, bishops of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, gathered in plenary from 14-18 August 2023, felt compelled to send a message of gratitude and support to you, honest South Africans, also known as whistle-blowers.   Like John the Baptist (cf. Mark. 6:17-29), you tell the...

Members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) have lauded corruption “whistleblowers” in South Africa. In a statement shared with ACI Africa on Friday, September 1, SACBC members liken entities and persons who have exposed corruption, including civil societies and activists to John the Baptist. “We gratefully acknowledge your contribution to the disclosure of corruption in government departments, municipalities, and state-owned companies heard by the Zondo Commission,” they say. Catholic Bishops of the three-nation Conference, including Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa...

South Africa's Conference of Catholic Bishops has pushed for the development of an anti-corruption court, citing the damage to the country's morale after a long standing corruption case against President Jacob Zuma. "We urge constitutional experts and the Law Reform Commission to guide the nation on the feasibility of establishing an anti-corruption court," said Bishop Abel Gabuza of Kimberley, chairman of the conference's Justice and Peace Commission. "When allegations of corruption hang over the head of a sitting...