Vusi pikoli biography of martin
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“Let us start off by reiterating that there shall be no general amnesty. Any such approach, whether applied to specific categories of people or regions of the country, would fly in the face of the TRC [Truth and Reconciliation Commission] process and subtract from the principle of accountability which is vital not only in dealing with the past, but also in the creation of a new ethos within our society. (…) Government is of the firm conviction that we cannot resolve this matter by setting up yet another amnesty process, which in effect would mean suspending constitutional rights of those who were at the receiving end of gross human right violations.”
These were the words of South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki on 15 April 2003 when he presented the sixth and final volume of the TRC, released a month earlier, to the parliament and the nation. However, within a few weeks of the speech, attempts by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to commence investiga
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Pikoli lambasts political leaders
Former National Prosecuting Authority boss, Vusi Pikoli, has attributed the crippling levels of corruption in the country to a lack of ethical and principled leadership.
Pikoli said South Africa had developed into a “kleptocratic” state – losing R30-billion a year in social services corruption.
He highlighted a need to buck the trend if the “constitutional promise of a better life for all” was to be delivered.
Pikoli lambasted political leaders for their apparent abuse of the notion of “innocent until proven guilty”, saying that if a government official was accused of misconduct they should step down while the investigation was under way.
“Corruption is anti-Constitution and is extremely costly and requires strong political will,” he said.
“Look at Port Elizabeth, for instance. Walmer is burning because of housing delivery protests. There shouldn’t be such protests because i