ANC integrity commission slates Ramaphosa over delayed CR17 talks

The ANC’s integrity commission (IC) has expressed disappointment over President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “unnecessary delay” to discuss the CR17 campaign funds.

The ANC’s integrity commission concluded its report – dated 21 December – on Ramaphosa after he appeared before the commission in November, as the commission criticised the president for being unable to appear before them for 18 months.

The purpose of the meeting was essentially to discuss the use of money for individual leadership campaigns, according to the commission.

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In the report, commission chairperson George Mashamba stated that the commission had requested to meet Ramaphosa after allegations that his ANC presidential campaign, which received more than R400 million in donations, came into the limelight in 2018.

Mashamba said Ramaphosa had engaged with the commission for two and a half hours, however, he wanted to bring his legal advisor to the meeting over the matter despite the commission’s terms of reference not allowing legal representation.

He further slated Ramaphosa’s reluctance to discuss the CR17 campaign until the courts had finalised the case.

“To insist that the legal process must conclude to avoid appearing before the IC on the basis that matters are before the courts distorts the role of the IC, undermines the work of the IC and presents an unnecessary delay to the work of the IC.

“The use of such allegedly huge sums of money for individual leadership campaigns was a departure from the internal democratic procedures of the organisation and was having a negative impact on the organisation.

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“It was therefore a great disappointment to the IC when the president explained to the chairperson of the commission that since this was a legal matter, he did not feel it was right to discuss the CR17 campaign funds until the legal matter was finalised,” he added.

There have been calls from ANC members such as Mzwandile Masina for the president to step down until corruption allegations against him were resolved.

Masina stated that all ANC members who facd charges of fraud and corruption must step aside, in accordance with a resolution taken at the ANC’s Nasrec conference in late 2017.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa recently claimed the publication of the bank accounts belonging to donors who funded the CR17 campaign was out of his hands.

The president further said there was no rule in place for the disclosure of donations for party leadership contests.

“No evidence of corruption or any other form of improper conduct exists in relation to these documents or to CR17 campaign. There are no rules or regulations in place for the disclosure of donations for internal party leadership contests, nor is there a provision for the disclosure of such information in the executive ethics code,” he said.

Compiled by Molefe Seeletsa

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