CAPE TOWN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his weekly newsletter to the nation on Monday, called for unified action and institutional reform in the country's ongoing battle against corruption in both public and private sectors.

This came after the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) handed over its final report of a three-year term to the president.

Ramaphosa said the work of NACAC makes it clear that the fight against corruption is "complex, multi-faceted and protracted."

"This fight requires the dismantling of systems of patronage that have become entrenched over many years. It requires strengthening state capacity to handle complex cases and closing regulatory loopholes that have enabled corruption to flourish," the president said. "We need to tackle public and private sector corruption with equal energy. Tax evasion, market manipulation, inflated contracts, and tender collusion by businesses significantly harm our economy, yet often receive less attention than corruption in public institutions."

According to Ramaphosa, NACAC recommended in its report the establishment of a "permanent, independent, overarching anti-corruption body." "The council recommends that this body be known as the Office of Public Integrity and Anti-Corruption and that its mandate be to prevent, investigate, and remedy systemic corruption. The proposed body, which responds to one of the key recommendations of the State Capture Commission, would be expected to both fight corruption and prevent it from happening in the first place," he said.

"The NACAC report also makes recommendations on the strengthening and coordination of law enforcement agencies, enhanced coordination mechanisms among the different law enforcement agencies, the use of Artificial Intelligence to prevent corruption, and the establishment of an anti-corruption data sharing framework," he added.

The president promised that the recommendations would be thoroughly reviewed by relevant government institutions for tabling and deliberation in the Cabinet.

He also underlined the need to pursue institutional reform to address the shortcomings in practices and systems that have enabled corruption to flourish.

"Corruption is much more than the result of the criminal intent of a few individuals, be they government officials, elected public representatives, or business people. It can become embedded in state institutions or business enterprises and manifest itself in practices and organizational culture," said Ramaphosa. "The success of our efforts relies on our ability to prevent corruption in the first place in state institutions, business enterprises, or organs of civil society."

"That is why we need to build transparent, accountable, and ethical institutions -- both public and private -- in which corruption is unable to take root. We all need to work together to build a society characterized by responsibility and integrity," he added. ■