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The long-awaited report, dated December 21, 2020 and signed by commission chair George Mashamba, stated that President Cyril Ramaphosa had initially appeared in 2018 when the issue of Bosasa and the funds of the campaign CR17.
POLITICS
The ANC Integrity Commission (IC) report, which describes the events of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appearance, shows that the CR17 bank statements were not discussed as they are still the subject of a court battle.
The long-awaited report, dated December 21, 2020 and signed by commission chair George Mashamba, stated that Ramaphosa had initially appeared in 2018, when the Bosasa issue and CR17 campaign funds emerged.
“The use of such supposedly huge sums of money for individual leadership campaigns was a departure from the internal democratic procedures of the organization and was having a negative impact on the organization.
“Therefore, it was a great disappointment to the IC when the chairman explained to the chairman 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 finished, ”Read part of the report.
In a scathing report, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found that Ramaphosa had deliberately misled Parliament when he responded to a question from then-Head District Attorney Mmusi Maimane about a R500,000 campaign donation from former Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson.
But Mkhwebane investigated further, investigating the entire CR17 campaign for money laundering.
The long-awaited report, dated December 21, 2020 and signed by commission chair George Mashamba, stated that Ramaphosa had initially appeared in 2018, when the Bosasa issue and CR17 campaign funds emerged.
The Constitutional Court has yet to hear the matter between Mkhwebane and Ramaphosa, who contends that the Public Protector did not have jurisdiction to investigate donations made to their successful candidacy for the ANC presidency.
Zoom’s last meeting between the integrity commission and Ramaphosa was for the purpose of soliciting and exchanging views on campaign finance for individuals, according to the commission’s report.
The commission stressed that they had had to continue the business of meeting with the president for more than 18 months and were eventually given the opportunity.
“The CI did not like that the president, especially, but also officials, continually referred publicly to the importance of the integrity commission and the work that was being done, but in reality there was little or no interaction. The chairman of the commission, Comrade George Mashamba, was finally able to welcome the president on November 19, 2020 to discuss the use of the money for individual leadership campaigns, ”the letter reads.
The commission recommended that members who have “irrefutable evidence” of vote buying come forward and report it, as it has been at the root of the party’s problems.
The Constitutional Court has yet to hear the matter between Mkhwebane and Ramaphosa, who contends that the Public Protector had no jurisdiction to investigate donations made to their successful bid for the ANC presidency.
The report claims that Ramaphosa accepted this approach and offered to submit a 69-page presentation that he had prepared for the commission, which he has yet to present.
“The issue of the use of money in vote buying, especially in relation to leadership positions, continues to emerge in both the media and the public arena. It is obvious to the commission that this issue is becoming increasingly divisive and is being used as an instrument to promote factional divisions at all levels of the organization. This is damaging the reputation of the organization, ”says the report.
Meanwhile, the president explained that the ANC must accept that the campaign is part of the modern way in which political parties operate, adding that it must be regulated.
He explained that the challenge became a problem in the organization after the dawn of democracy. He went on to say that the system used to elect leaders changed after 1994, when money was linked to access to government resources and positions.
The president said that many conferences had made resolutions on this matter, but the practice had turned into a practice in which the use of money had propped up leadership contests.
He suggested a new approach on how challenges could be conducted in a legitimate, transparent and accountable manner.
Another bone of contention was that a report on the emergence of Ramaphosa had not been shared with the national executive committee, as was the case with many other leaders.
In the report, the commission said that unity should not be pursued at the expense of the ANC’s image and integrity. “The integrity commission does not support the notion of unity at all costs. Unity is only important if it strengthens the organization and thus enables it to deliver on its promises. Unity must be based on political principles and can only be achieved around a common vision and a common agenda, as reflected when we speak of ‘unity in action’, ”the commission stated.
Other issues discussed included the legitimacy of the next national general council, officials refusing to comply with the conference’s resolution to step aside from criminal charges, and ANC leaders whose families and friends were doing business with the government.
This report comes amid growing complaints from allies of ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule about the emergence of Ramaphosa. They believe that Magashule should be accorded the same courtesy of dealing with its corruption charges before having to appear before the commission.
Another bone of contention was that a report on the emergence of Ramaphosa had not been shared with the national executive committee, as was the case with many other leaders.
Last week, the commission ruled that Magashule should voluntarily withdraw, pending the court battle in which he is implicated in the multi-million dollar asbestos affair in the Free State, or be suspended if he refuses.
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