Not within my power to make CR17 bank statements public – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the publication of the bank accounts belonging to donors who funded the CR17 campaign is out of his hands.

The President was responding to questions from MPs in the National Assembly on Thursday afternoon.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema asked Ramaphosa: “Whether his insistence to fight the Public Protector in court, in order to seal bank statements of accounts of persons who contributed to his campaign to be elected as the president of his political organisation, undermines the government’s fight against rampant corruption, if not, does it not set a precedent for corrupt people to use the courts to seal bank statements with questionable transactions; if so, should be not demonstrate the importance of transparency by allowing the bank statements to show that he has nothing to hide?”

In response, Ramaphosa said the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) had consistently opposed the publication of the documents because donors had not been asked for permission.

“Only the FIC can allow these documents to be made public. The bank statements in question are from accounts over which I do not have any form of control. They belong to entities and private companies which I do not control and whose internal financial affairs are protected by the country’s privacy laws. It is therefore not within my power to make any of them public.”

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.

On ANC leaders accused of charged with corruption, Ramaphosa said it was a matter for the ANC.

“The issue of the leaders of the ANC is a matter that is handled by the ANC,” said Ramaphosa.

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