ANC MP wants Ramaphosa to appear before Scopa over leaked audio

President Cyril Ramaphosa could be summoned to Parliament to give answers over a leaked audio in which he noted that state resources and public funds were allegedly used for ANC’s campaigns.

In the audio recording, Ramaphosa is heard saying he was “willing to fall on the sword” to protect the ANC, instead of revealing the names of the members who had allegedly used public funds for their political campaigns ahead of the governing party’s 2017 elective conference.

“One of the officials said as these people from the state security [agency] testify [at the state capture commission], one of the officials said soon they will be revealing about how money was used for some campaigns, and I said I would rather they say you got money from this business for CR17 than for the public to finally hear that their public money was used to advance certain campaigns,” he said during a meeting of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC).

Perjury

While ANC’s head of the Presidency, Sibongile Besani dismissed suggestions that Ramaphosa was attempting to shield its members, the party’s MP Mervyn Dirks wants answers regarding the audio from the President.

Dirks has written to Parliament’s the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) chairperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa requesting that Ramaphosa be summoned before the committee.

In the letter, Dirks said he was concerned that Ramaphosa did not reveal that public funds were used when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, chaired by Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, in 2021 to testify.

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He further questioned whether the President’s failure to disclose such information amounts to perjury.

“The admission by the president of his knowledge of corruption and his refusal to divulge it will definitely make the final State Capture report questionable and render it not worth the paper it is written on,” Dirks stated.

Hlengwa has since told Sunday Times that Dirks would need to appear before the committee before deciding on whether to summon the President.

The publication has also reported that Dirks has not withdrawn his request after he was instructed to do so in a letter written by ANC chief whip, Pemmy Majodina.

‘Public Protector could even investigate’

Political analyst, Oliver Dickson, meanwhile, says Ramaphosa may have violated the Constitution by not disclosing “what is clearly blatant corruption” despite having knowledge of it.

“That’s against the law. Now only he is in violation of the law… it’s also in violation of Parliament’s executive ethics code. This is something the Public Protector could even investigate.

“If any of what he said in the audio is true and its been authenticated as having truly being the President speaking in that meeting then real and serious action must be taken from it,” Dickson said during an interview with SABC News.

Dickson also indicated that Dirks’ request against the ANC President showed how the governing party has factionalism within its structures.

READ MORE: Bumpy road for Ramaphosa ahead of ANC conference

“[I think] it also shows that Ramaphosa has an ANC parliamentary caucus that may well hold him accountable and vote against him in a motion of no confidence,” he said.

Ramaphosa is facing a motion of no confidence, which was first tabled by African Transformation Movement (ATM).

ATM recently resubmitted their motion of no confidence application to Parliament after a Supreme Court ruling delivered in December 2021.

The party has asked that the vote on the motion be held as soon as Parliament reconvenes on 25 January this year.

Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe