Zondo commission: Ramaphosa salutes whistle-blowers, media on corruption exposure
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to whistleblowers who lifted the lid on corruption allegations linked to state capture.
Ramaphosa concluded his testimony at the Zondo commission on Thursday. He will return to speak of his role as the president of the country next month.
Ramaphosa, while giving closing remarks, praised whistle-blowers who put their lives on the line in exposing incidents of corruption. Whistle-blowers have not had a great time in our country. Once they blew the whistle, they have been subjected to enormous pressures. Pressures that have affected them personally, professionally, career-wise and also has affected their own households.â
State capture: Has Ramaphosa thrown Mkhize under the bus on Bosasa?
Bosasa is now being discussed at the State Capture Inquiry - and we don t think Zweli Mkhize will thank Cyril Ramaphosa for this little namedrop anytime soon.
Cyril Ramaphosa might have been cruising during the first session of the State Capture Inquiry on Thursday, but the president has now found himself gridlocked within a wall of uncomfortable questions. The Bosasa issue – arguably the biggest thorn in the 68-year-old’s side since he became head of state – has shaken things up drastically this afternoon.
Ramaphosa on Mkhize and Bosasa
That’s because Ramaphosa, inadvertently or otherwise, brought Zweli Mkhize under the glare of the panel’s forensic focus. Advocate Paul Pretorius pushed the president to clarify what he knew about the corruption kingpins that were operating Bosasa at the time, and Cyril suggested that the former ANC Treasurer ‘should have been more alert‘.
Ramaphosa regrets ANC receiving money from Bosasa, Guptas Siviwe Feketha > By Siviwe Feketha - 29 April 2021 - 16:09 President Cyril Ramaphosa appears at the state capture commission to testify in his capacity as the president of the African National Congress. Image: Veli Nhlapo
President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as regrettable that the ANC had accepted donations from companies implicated in criminal activities, in violation of the party’s own constitution.
The companies included controversial facilities management company Bosasa and the Guptas, which have been implicated in allegations of corruption and of dubiously securing tenders from government departments and state-owned entities over the years.
MONEYWEB
app instead?
ANC president acknowledges corruption within the party, says this does not mean the party is corrupt. 00:01
Ramaphosaâs attempts to airbrush the ANC are being closely followed. Image: Waldo Swiegers, Bloomberg
President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared before the Zondo Commission on Wednesday (April 28) in his capacity as president of the ANC.
One would be forgiven for expecting Ramaphosa to appear contrite, ashamed, apologetic, begging the public for forgiveness that under his watch, state capture made favoured comrades filthy rich; comrades who unashamedly publically flaunted their ill-gotten wealth and assets, and depleted the country of billions.
Instead, he looked straight at commission chair Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, and confidently launched into his long-winded opening statement.
Ramaphosa told the State Capture Inquiry that instead of buying votes,
he would rather have withdrawn from the race .
He also
said the practice among members of paying levies to the party was widespread.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied claims that his presidential campaign in 2017 cost R1 billion rand and said it was closer to R300 million, although he didn t know the exact amount.
He also said he would rather have withdrawn from the race than allowed his team to buy ANC votes – a reference to allegations that candidates would give money, take-away food and plush hotel rooms to delegates who promised them their votes at conferences.