Ramaphosa is on Monday visiting the troubled Kimberley-based Sol Plaatje Local Municipality in his capacity as the ANC president. He is expected to face difficult questions from residents on his engagement during his door-to-door campaign. Since his election as the ANC president at Nasrec in 2017, Ramaphosa has put himself as an anti-corruption champion in municipalities and government departments. 

OFM News has previously been reporting on numerous officials who were nabbed by the Hawks on allegations of fraud, corruption, and money laundering across the Northern Cape. Ramaphosa previously wrote to party members asking them to step aside if they are facing serious charges in a court of law.

Among those whose wings were clipped by the step-aside policy which was effected this year in July, and was suspended as a result of the court action against him, is former ANC Secretary-General (SG) Ace Magashule. The suspension of Magashule has, however, somehow put the ruling party in limbo with party members divided on the decision to suspend Magashule.

Arguments against the decision, include that the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) was selective in applying the step-aside policy. Others have even gone further to demand that Ramaphosa step aside, as well as alleging that his CR17 presidential election campaign received, money from private donors to benefit him personally.

In July, The Mail & Guardian reported that the Constitutional Court dismissed an appeal by the Public Protector against the scathing High Court ruling that set aside her report on donations to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s so-called CR17 campaign for the leadership of the ANC.

The ruling, delivered by Justice Chris Jafta, concurred with the high court that public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane exceeded her powers and made grave errors in fact and law, but went further to remark that some of these could not have been made innocently. 

It marks a resounding, if predictable, legal victory for Ramaphosa, agreeing with his insistence that he did “nothing wrong” by not disclosing private funding for his leadership campaign.

OFM News