Analyst: Ramaphosa looking like he has something to hide

President Cyril Ramaphosa, battling an ailing economy, rising unemployment, decreasing industrialisation and lack of meaningful progress in settling the land debate, faces a real prospect of damaging his presidency further if he does not address the furore over the funds solicited and used in his campaign to become ANC president in 2017.

“He keeps digging himself in,” political analyst Ralph Mathekga said yesterday after bank statements allegedly disclosing details of the donors were reported in the media.

“I don’t think it was an issue originally. He seems to be committing serial mistakes. The biggest problem is his poor reaction to the disclosures.”

On Saturday, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko cited “grave concern” over a “violation of the constitutionally enshrined right to privacy”.

Diko added: “It seems clear this information has been, from the first instance, obtained in an illegal manner. The legal representatives of President Cyril Ramaphosa have made a request to the court that certain information contained in the record of the public protector’s investigation into allegations against the president not be made public.”

Diko said a decision was pending on whether the documents had been obtained illegally or not.

“Should the request be granted, nothing prevents the court from deciding, once it has established the lawfulness of the source of the documents and the appropriateness of these being included in the record, that some or all of it should be made public.”

Economic Freedom Fighters spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and the party’s deputy president Floyd Shivambu laid into Ramaphosa on Twitter yesterday. “How the path to power was paved with a billion rand #RamaphosaLeaks,” Ndlozi said, referring to the Sunday Independent, which broke the story.

“If ever there was a sign of the degeneration of the ANC, this is it. Ever wonder about the silence of those foundations that used to call press conferences on Gupta capture? Where are the ANC veterans or the integrity committee?”

Referring to the donors in question, Shivambu said none “look like the majority of members of the party they hypnotised with cash”. He added: “Clearly the white capitalist establishment has rented a president to the erstwhile liberation movement. And most definitely this is no free lunch.”

Mathekga said Ramaphosa had to understand the limitations of the courts.

“A victory in court will never amount to a political victory. For this to happen he has to come out and deal with the issues. What is he hiding about the donors? That is the big problem.”

Even Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola weighed in, noting the rule for internal party disclosure should be applicable to all.

“I raised this in 2015 towards the ANC Youth League national conference. The reality is you need resources to run any campaign.”

Diko noted that Ramaphosa had told both the public protector and the court (in applying for non-disclosure of certain records) the funds were used to support campaign activities, including mobilisation, communication, research, security, administration, logistical support (travel and accommodation), stipends and salaries.

“Funds were also provided to co-ordinators in provinces to organise rallies, arrange transport, hire venues, provide accommodation, etc.” This would not matter if Ramaphosa stopped protecting his donors, Mathekga said. “Someone who takes money from Bosasa needs to give us all the information about that.”

While funders with names such as Nicky Oppenheimer (of the Fireblade Aviation debacle) and eNCA owner Johnny Copelyn were fuelling the “white monopoly capital” jibes, Ramaphosa was running out of time to deal with the issue, he said.

– amandaw@citizen.co.za

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