Ramaphosa promises to rid government and parliament of corrupt members

At the African National Congress’s (ANC) final election rally at Ellis Park Stadium and the Johannesburg Stadium on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed the party “is determined to ensure that those found guilty of corruption and state capture will not be able to get positions in the party, government, and parliament”.

He said his government would “fight with every measure at our disposal to ensure that those who occupy positions of authority serve only the public interest”.

“Let us declare that we will never surrender our freedom to corruption and state capture. We will not submit and retreat. We will fight with every measure at our disposal to ensure that those who occupy positions of authority serve only the public interest,” Ramaphosa continued.

The party’s election list has received criticism due to the presence of several politicians implicated in corruption.

Those who have faced allegations of wrongdoing include ANC members as high up as deputy president David ‘DD’ Mabuza and secretary-general Ace Magashule.

The list also includes controversial ministers including former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba, Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, Women Affairs minister Bathabile Dlamini, and Communications Minister Faith Muthambi.

The party’s official policy is that those who have been accused of wrongdoing on the list are “innocent until proven guilty” although some voices within the party have expressed opposition to this view.

READ MORE: Ramaphosa apologises to voters for failing them

Ramaphosa said the party resolved to fight corruption at its national conference in December 2017, in which he emerged as ANC president in a close race against Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the preferred candidate of the party’s Zuma loyalists.

“We are going to fight against corruption despite stern opposition from those who benefited from state capture,” Ramaphosa said.

“The Zondo commission is busy unravelling the nature of the state capture in the National Prosecuting Authority, Sars, police and State Security Agency. We are going to hold them accountable and to respect the rule of law,” he continued.

“We are in the era of accountability. We are in the era of consequence management. We are in the era of renewal and stability,”

In his speech, Ramaphosa also apologised to ANC supporters for failing them, and promised to perform well if the ANC won the May 8 general elections.

“Where we have made mistakes, we acknowledge them without qualification. You have told us what you expect of the ANC,” he told thousands of supporters at the ANC’s final Siyanqoba elections rally at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

“We admit that we have made mistakes, we put ourselves before our people, and say yes, we have made mistakes, but it’s only those who are doing nothing who don’t make mistakes. The ANC is ready to serve their people and we know what needs to be done to grow our economy. If we are united, there is nothing we cannot achieve,” the president said.

(Background reporting by Gopolang Chawane, Thembelihle Mkhonza, ANA)

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