Ramaphosa said he will wait for 'the outcome of the commission’s report and I think that is about all I can say on that question right now'.
Picture File: President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to testify before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 11 August 2021. Picture: Sumaya Hisham/AFP
On Thursday, August 12, President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared before the Zondo Commission to resume his testimony.
Evidence leader Paul Pretorius SC brought up the events that have unfolded over the past 10 to 12 years, to do with issues of state security:
Ramaphosa said he only became aware of this through the High Level Review Panel report on the SSA.
[The High Level Review Panel into the State Security Agency (SSA) was established by Ramaphosa in June 2018, began its work in July 2018 and was given six months to submit its report. The High Level Review Panel was chaired by Dr Sydney Mufamadi, and was released by Ramaphosa in March 2019. The report can be read here.]
Pretorius replied that all he knows is that the investigation died, and asked “how could this have happened?”
Ramaphosa said that it is inconceivable and incomprehensible but it did happen. Ramaphosa then said that the state will be cleaned through a washing machine process.
Ramaphosa’s choice of analogy is unfortunate, as a washing machine is used as an analogy to cleanse dirty money (and hide the origin of crime), and is never used in a good sense.
Pretorius summed up, that the 2011 allegations against those involved in criminal conduct were buried for seven years.
Pretorius said that the multi-disciplinary investigations team established by the commission, Veza, gave evidence before the commission. “What is of great concern, in addition to what happened before 2018, is what happened after 2018”:
Pretorius described events that were “particularly concerning, and it relates to the consequences of the work of the commission, the sentencing and imprisonment of the former president, and the events of July this year”:
Pretorius emphasised that it doesn’t require “rocket science” to see that “something is seriously wrong and if there is a clear and present danger to the security of the country”.
Ramaphosa said that he is aware of this and that is “precisely the reason that motivated [me] to bring the SSA into the presidency”.
Pretorius said that the events described are merely background, and what happened after that is “far more serious”:
Ramaphosa responded: “To my knowledge those documents are in safekeeping and they are going to form part of this process of intensive investigation going forward”.
Pretorius asked if the evidence is relevant to the events of July, as “anybody with an inquiring mind would at least raise red flags” [i.e. the looting, destruction of property, and attempted insurrection].
Ramaphosa: “Yes”.
Pretorius continued:
Ramaphosa said that he was aware that there was a lack of cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
Pretorius asked Ramaphosa if: “It is manifestly unlawful to interfere with the operations of the National Prosecuting Authority and the powers of the IGI in relation to state security”.
Ramaphosa said: “We are determined to deal with all those things. We just went into an abyss and we are clawing our way back to the top and, in doing so, we are determined to succeed and we will succeed”.
Pretorius referred to David Mahlobo, who has denied the allegations made against him, “but the evidence is strong”.
Pretorius told the commission that Mahlobo was minister of state security from 2014 to 2017. He was moved to minister of energy in 2017. He was not included in Ramaphosa’s first cabinet.
The high level review findings made serious findings in relation to Mahlobo. However, Ramaphosa appointed him as a deputy minister in May 2019, “despite the findings by the high level review panel”.
Ramaphosa said that he will wait for “the outcome of the commission’s report and I think that is about all I can say on that question right now”.
Chairperson Zondo cautioned Ramaphosa that we could end up with a situation of “no action being taken for a quite a number of years” because of this or that process that has to take place first and those who should take decisions don’t.
Fraser was redeployed by Ramaphosa to Correctional Services during April 2018.
Pretorius asked Ramaphosa if “It is not unreasonable, therefore, to propose that any failures at the heels of the SSA in July 2021 and during this period of state capture were a logical and predictable outcome of the history of over 12 years’ of mismanagement, institutionalised corruption, factionalism and a redirection of the capacity and resources of the security establishment away from its true objective, the interest of the people as a whole to serve narrow political, sectional and private interest.”
Ramaphosa replied that he would not use a broad brush, “yes quite a lot of maleficence did happen”, but they will “reposition the SSA… that will serve the interest of the people of South Africa”.
By Barbara Curson
This article first appeared on Moneyweb and was republished with permission. Read the original article here.
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