Daily news update: State capture report, ANC’s deployment committee minutes, Sona 2022

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State Capture Report: Ramaphosa’s silence under Zuma questioned

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s failure to raise his disquiet about the impact of state capture under the Jacob Zuma administration, which saw billions of taxpayers’ money being siphoned by the Guptas, was a sign of him being merely concerned about ultimately ascending to the Union Buildings, political analysts said on Wednesday.

During his testimony last year at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Ramaphosa acknowledged there had been rampant state corruption while he was Zuma’s deputy, but said he did not resign, as that would have hampered his efforts to resist the rot.

Ramaphosa, who was Zuma’s deputy for four years, told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo: “I had five options: resign, speak out; acquiesce and abet; remain and keep silent; or remain and resist.”

There is no security threat against country or Ramaphosa, says Kodwa

Deputy minister of State Security in the Presidency Zizi Kodwa says South Africans should not be concerned about the “general” safety of South Africa and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This after Ramaphosa walked out of the African National Congress Women’s League’s (ANCWL) Lilian Ngoyi lecture in Limpopo on Thursday ahead of his January 8 address, and in light of the parliament fire and attack on the Constitutional Court this week.

Also Read: Ramaphosa leaves ANCWL memorial lecture due to Covid regulations

In a video shared by Newzroom Afrika, Kodwa was seen whispering something into Ramaphosa’s ear before he, along with his security detail, walked out of the building.

Minutes show how ANC predetermined appointment of judges, SOE heads, boards

Recently released minutes of the ANC’s deployment committee meetings show how the governing party seemingly predetermined the appointment of judges, Chapter 9 institution heads, and SOE boards, in a manner which the opposition has described as “making a mockery of state appointment processes”.

The ANC’s deployment committee minutes from 2018 to 2021 was made public by the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, chaired by Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, just before the first part of state capture report was released on Tuesday.

The minutes come after it emerged at the commission in April last year that the deployment committee did not keep records of its meetings from 2012 to 2017.

Manyi slams Zondo’s ‘rubbish’ findings, says Zuma is ‘studying’ state capture report

Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, has slammed the Zondo commission’s report, describing the findings against him as “rubbish”.

The first of the three part report was made public on Tuesday evening after the commission’s chairperson, Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, handed it over to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The 874-page report fingered Manyi as one of the “enablers” of state capture during his tenure as director-general (DG) of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).

According to the report, the act of replacing former GCIS DG Themba Maseko with Manyi was one of the earliest acts of state capture by the Guptas.

ANC makes a U-turn over using Cape Town’s venues for Sona 2022

The African National Congress (ANC) in Parliament has suddenly changed their minds about using the City of Cape Town’s facilities to host this year’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) and might be accepting the DA’s offer.

The ANC caucus changed its tune on Wednesday, after having initially rejected Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis’s offer to use alternative venues for Sona following the fire that has left Parliament damaged.

Hill-Lewis had offered the City of Cape Town’s Council Chamber to be used for sittings in the National Assembly, while the Grand Parade and City Hall would be available to host Sona.

Small fire breaks out at UCT campus, doused after a couple of hours

A small fire broke out at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT’s) Upper Campus late on Wednesday night and was put out around two hours later.

In a statement, the university said the fire broke out on a vacant field near the campus. There was no damage or danger to any human life as the flames were far from any infrastructure and buildings, it added.

The cause of the blaze has not yet been identified. An investigation into the matter will be conducted.

Hawks take over Parliament building crime scene for investigation

The Parliament building has officially been handed over to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, to investigate the circumstances around the devastating fire that started on Sunday.

Department of Public Works and Infrastructure engineers are also on site to determine if the affected buildings are safe for access by the Hawks.

The Hawks investigators are expected to gain access to the buildings once they receive confirmation from the multidisciplinary team of engineers, including structural, electrical, and forensic experts.