The role played by the Gupta family and their network in the capture of state-owned entities has once again come under the spotlight after the release of the second tranche of a three-part report of the inquiry into state capture.
Yet the all powerful individuals, on whose behalf politicians and senior executives were found to have been instrumental in the looting of state, continue to elude law enforcers and live in the lap of luxury in Dubai. While it is still early days for law enforcement to act on the findings of the part two of the inquiry report focusing on Transnet and Denel, the Guptas have been pursued by SA since 2018 without any success so far.
The family is accused of using their links to former president Jacob Zuma to secure irregular government contracts at various state institutions. Despite the National Prosecuting Authority seeking Interpol's help for the arrest of two of the Gupta brothers and their wives in June last year in relation to Estina dairy scandal, there has been no breakthrough. In addition, the United Arab Emirates ratified an extradition treaty with SA which was seen as an important step in seeking to bring the family back to face the law.
It therefore buggers belief that six months since these two significant steps were taken by the authorities in an attempt ensure the Guptas faced the law for their misdeeds, there has been no development.
If anything we would hope that part two of the state capture report will pile more pressure on the authorities to act with urgency in pursuit of the Guptas. It will signal the government's commitment to eliminate corruption and restore confidence in the rule of law that those behind similar actions will be held to account wherever they are in the world.
The Zondo commission has found the Gupta enterprise received more than R3.5bn in "proven kickbacks" in respect of locomotives procured by Transnet at inflated prices. These acts of corruption and other malfeasance that has been unraveled thus far cannot go unpunished for too long because the danger is that the culture of impunity and malaise of corruption will simply persist.
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