Maimane has just one question for Ramaphosa tomorrow, and it’s about CR17 money

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane has written a letter to Speaker of the National Assembly Thandi Modise, requesting an urgent oral reply from President Cyril Ramaphosa to a question on recent leaked emails from the CR17 campaign, which led to him becoming president of the ANC and subsequently the country.

In the letter, Maimane summarises which members of Ramaphosa’s cabinet have been shown to have received payments from the CR17 campaign.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Thembi Siweya and Minister of Small Business Development Khumbudzo Ntshavheni received “sizeable payments” before their ministerial appointments, as did Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula and Deputy Minister of State Security Zizi Kodwa.

Maimane also summarises reports on how the payments from the campaign may have benefited the ministers, which were first published in City Press and the Sunday Independent over the weekend.

“Minister Ntshavheni allegedly used part of the R5 million she received from the CR17 campaign funds to purchase a luxury vehicle and build a mansion in Thohoyandou, while Minister Siweya allegedly benefitted to the tune of R2.3 million while she was around the country campaigning for Ramaphosa to be ANC president. Mbalula and Kodwa were each paid R40,000 according to leaked bank statements, in Mbalula’s case allegedly to supplement his salary.”

The president’s first oral question-and-answer (Q&A) session of the sixth parliament will be taking place on Thursday.

READ MORE: CR17 shows state capture goes beyond Zuma and Guptas – Maimane

Maimane wants his question answered even though they were submitted after the deadline, which was August 5.

He argues the question he wants to ask is based on reports which only came to light after this date.

Maimane argues in the letter that the matter is urgent and his question must be answered on Thursday as it “relates directly to the president’s constitutional powers that may have been influenced”.

According to Maimane, Ramaphosa must be able to give “rational reasons” for his cabinet appointments and so should use this Q&A session to “clarify to the people of South Africa and unequivocally state whether these individuals’ payment for work on his campaign is related – in any way whatsoever – to his decision to appointment them as ministers”.

Maimane said the leaked emails and bank statements showed that Ramaphosa may have bought the loyalty of his ministers through the CR17 payments, which raises “serious questions as to the president’s impartiality in appointing these individuals to his cabinet”.

Maimane is requesting that the following question be answered in parliament tomorrow (Thursday, August 22):

“Whether the appointments of Ms KPS Ntshavheni to the position of minister of small business development, Ms RT Siweya to the position of deputy minister in the presidency, Mr F Mbalula to the position of minister of transport and Mr Z Kodwa to the position of deputy minister of state security were informed in any way by the fact that both worked for, and received payment from his CR17 campaign?”

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