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In a move that apparently disarmed his loudest opponents, President Cyril Ramaphosa told the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) that he had approached the integrity committee to explain his CR17 campaign.
Ramaphosa preemptively approached the integrity committee last week asking them for an opportunity to explain his controversial campaign which received more than R400 million in donations.
At Friday’s NEC meeting, Ramaphosa said he wanted her to guide how the party should approach leadership contests.
READ ALSO: ANC NEC meeting, Masina demands the resignation of Ramaphosa
Sources at the meeting said this set the tone for the meeting and was consistent with the president’s push that all those accused of corruption should resign.
“The president said that he wants to appear before them and that everyone who has something on their head should go present their case. This puts an end to all side shows, ”added a party informant.
Ramaphosa’s move to deal with corruption in the party met with resistance from his opponents who pointed to his CR17 campaign.
His political enemies, uniting under the banner of “radical economic transformation”, lobbied for Ramaphosa not to speak of corruption if he does not respond to accusations that he used funds from “white monopoly capital” to buy votes at the conference of Nasrec of the party.
This move was intensified by a forceful letter written by former President Jacob Zuma to Ramaphosa on Friday in which he lashed out at Ramaphosa’s open letter to party members who lamented the corruption in the party.
“Mr. President, it seems that it has become your hallmark since our 54th national conference to deflect accusations from yourself rather than face them and clear your name.
“Mr. President, you are currently accused of having received nearly a billion rand in donations from white monopoly capital, just to win an internal ANC contest,” Zuma wrote in his letter to Ramaphosa.
He did not strike a blow at the now widely circulated letter, saying that unless Ramaphosa and the NEC clarify how he was chosen, his letters would “be construed as his attempts to appease those who, with their ill-gotten wealth, catapulted him” into the position it occupies in our movement ”.
“We all know that such donations amounted to sacrificing the ANC’s historic mission for 30 pieces of silver,” Zuma said.
Involved
News24 reported that Ramaphosa was adamant that society perceived the party as corrupt and that churches would feel uncomfortable campaigning for the ANC in the upcoming elections.
Ramaphosa wants the NEC to resolve that all those accused of corruption should step aside.
Sources said Ramaphosa’s bid to crack down on corruption in its ranks was widely supported during discussions on Saturday.
Despite a call from ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni for Ramaphosa to lead by example and resign himself due to allegations surrounding the CR17 campaign at an earlier meeting of the national working committee, the call was not repeated in the NEC.
NEC experts said Saturday’s discussion focused on formulating a code of ethics that would guide party leaders whose children were doing business with the state.
The NEC received reports from its provincial structures on efforts to deal with those implicated in corruption, including a list of who should step aside.
No similar list was formulated for national leaders accused of corruption, but sources said there were calls for the NEC to create a list and then determine who should step aside.
The sources said there were calls from NEC members for clarification on how the integrity committee is expected to do its job.
Additionally, the NEC is due to discuss the 2021 local government elections on Sunday.
They should also receive an update on their discussion papers for their national general council, which was scheduled to take place in October, but was postponed indefinitely due to Covid-19.
News 24
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