ANC defends Ramaphosa: ‘Those with nothing to offer, throw stones’
Lekota was one of those, who had no issues betraying the organisation that shaped his political career, according to the ANC.
President Cyril Ramaphosa preparing his SONA 2018 Speech at his official residence Highstead, Cape Town. 16/02/2018. Picture: Elmond Jiyane, GCIS
The ANC has come out in defence of President Cyril Ramaphosa and has described allegations by Congress of the People (Cope) leader Mosiuoa Lekota as baseless and unfounded.
The party rejects Lekota’s insinuations with contempt and said they had full confidence in the president.
“We do not take kindly to desperate attempts to call to question his integrity. Allegations of this nature are often made when the accuser fears exposure for his own misdeeds or runs out of political ideas.
“President Ramaphosa became the first secretary-general of the ANC following its unbanning in 1990, and lead the ANC’s negotiations team that led to the 1994 breakthrough and adoption of the final Constitution in 1996.”
The party reiterated their full confidence in Ramaphosa’s leadership and said the ANC would emerge victorious at the polls with Ramaphosa as the face of its campaign.
The party refused to be deterred by Lekota’s ‘baseless’ allegations.
“Those who have nothing to offer to the people of South Africa will always find a way to throw stones and make attempts at denigrating his strong character.
“The ANC has a proud history as a liberation movement that has fought to liberate all South Africans across the racial divide and has brought together people from different strands. Some of these people, who were trusted comrades and rose to the highest ranks of the ANC, have never hesitated to betray this legacy and trust when it suited their personal ambitions.”
They said Lekota was one of those, who had no issues betraying the organisation that shaped his political career over many decades.
“As we mobilise South African to deliver an overwhelming majority at the polls, we have learned the harsh impact on society and economy arising from loss of integrity in institutions of state and business and in political and other formations. We have learned hard lessons and we are now confident that we have implemented the vigilance needed to stop creeping lawlessness, greed, and selfishness taking root.”
Lekota, during parliament’s Sona debate, accused Ramaphosa of selling out comrades to apartheid police during the 1970s.
The Cope leader alleged Ramaphosa wrote to the Special Branch in the 1970s, claiming his fellow struggle stalwarts put communist ideas in his head in a bid to escape imprisonment on Robben Island.
The Cope leader said he even turned down an invitation to a trip the president had invited him on, and said the only trip he had wanted to go on with him had taken place in 1970s when those in the struggle were sent to Robben Island to be imprisoned for their beliefs.
FACT: when SACP was unbanned in 1990, Ramaphosa applied for its membership which got subjected to a debate as some raised questions regarding his security past, to the extend that Zuma was asked to investigate these allegations. SO Lakota is not the first to say #RamaphosaSoldOut pic.twitter.com/YdW5HQUZyg
— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) February 13, 2019
(Compiled by Gopolang Chawane)
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