Category Archives: Politics

Maimane on CR17: ANC’s patronage can deploy people to Chapter 9 institutions

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Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane has linked the CR17 campaign controversy to the “patronage system” in the African National Congress (ANC).

In a video he posted on Twitter on Tuesday, Maimane said the ANC’s patronage system means the party can even deploy people to Chapter 9 institutions.

He said the ANC decided that it would capture the state by deploying cadres that are loyal to the party and not to the citizens, and by capturing institutions of government.

Maimane claimed that the CR17 campaign used the same modus operandi that has been used all along in the ANC, that is, paying off members for support or rewarding them with positions.

These members then become loyal to individual leaders or simply to the party, he claimed.

And the rest is history. You can even deploy people to positions of Chapter 9 institutions. This is a dangerous trend.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane

Maimane said South Africans should not simply focus on President Cyril Ramaphosa, but on the whole system of ANC patronage.

If we’re not careful, another faction will come on board. It will take over government. It will pay at conference a much higher fee.

And then after that deploy more cadres, buy judges, buy journalists, and it’s only a matter of time before our democracy is a shadow of what it ought to be.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane

Leaked bank statements belonging to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR17 ANC presidential campaign reveal how funds were channelled to various beneficiaries in the ANC.

Some of them include ministers Khumbdzo Ntshavheni and Fikile Mbalula as well as deputy minister Zizi Kodwa.

Ntshavheni has insisted that the funds she received were used to cover campaign-related expenses such as meeting venues, transport, food, airtime and data.

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Ramaphosa remains most favourable leader but Malema declines – survey

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President Cyril Ramaphosa remains South Africa’s most favourable leader, according to new research by Citizen Survey.

The research company revealed its 2019 Quarter 2 (April-June) South African Citizens Survey (SACS) on Tuesday.

The survey showed that in the last nine months, Ramaphosa’s favourability rating has risen to 62% as of July.

This is from a low of 55% in the last quarter of 2018 when revelations from the Zondo Commission on state capture began to affect public perceptions.

In contrast, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has seen his favourability drop to 25% in the second quarter of 2019.

According to Citizen Surveys, this is one percent lower than former President Zuma’s favourability when he resigned n February 2018.

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane’s favourability has remained constant at 28% since 2018’s Q4.

Other leaders also experienced declines in favourability, with the worst being African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Ace Magashule.

His popularity stood at just 11% in July, down from 16% in June this year.

Deputy President David Mabuza’s favourability also declined from 26% in June to 21% in July.

Reza Omar, Citizen Surveys’ strategic research director, said the declines in favourability among the ANC’s top leaders should worry the party.

Omar pointed to factional battles within the ANC as well as ongoing court cases with Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane as contributing factors.

EFF: No amount of personal suffering must lead members into enemy camp

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has reacted to the resignations of two of its MPs for accepting funds from the CR17 campaign.

Tebogo Mokwele and Nkagisang Mokgosi resigned as MPs and members of the EFF’s Central Command Team (CCT) on Monday.

In a statement on Tuesday, the party cautioned its members against being led into the “enemy camp” by personal circumstances.

No amount of personal suffering must lead a revolutionary into the enemy camp; the enemy will always use this to achieve their own objectives against our cause.

EFF

EFF also reiterated that its integrity and reputation are non-negotiable and those who have compromised them “must be humble enough to bow out.”

Nevertheless, the party applauded the two former MPs for taking responsibility for their actions, adding that this has strengthened the EFF.

From their resignations, the revolution and the entire movement has suffered a great loss of talent and hardworking women cadres.

EFF

The ex-MPs resignations follows the leaking of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR17 ANC presidential campaign’s bank records and emails.

Others who reportedly received funds from the campaign include ministers Fikile Mbalula and Khumbudzo Ntshavheni as well as deputy minister Zizi Kodwa.

Zizi Kodwa: Some in ANC are working with ex-leaders to undermine Ramaphosa

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African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) member Zizi Kodwa has claimed that President Cyril Ramaphosa is under attack from his own ANC comrades.

Speaking to EWN on Tuesday, Kodwa further claimed that Ramaphosa’s detractors are working with former ANC leaders.

[There is] an attempt by some to connive with former leaders who want to undermine the efforts of ANC to the renew itself, to renew the country and to restore confidence.

Zizi Kodwa

Kodwa nevertheless did not specify who these ANC comrades or leaders are.

He said the president remains “unfazed” and is not distracted by the controversy surrounding his CR17 campaign fundraising.

The controversy arose from the publication of leaked emails and bank statements linked to the campaign.

Social media has also been awash with the leaked records, which apparently reveal the campaign’s donors as well as beneficiaries.

Kodwa confirmed receiving R50,000 from one of the CR17 trust accounts in 2019.

However, he explained that it was related to his employment as then head of presidency at Luthuli House.

Others who reportedly received funds from the campaign include ministers Fikile Mbalula and Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MPs Tebogo Mokwele and Nkagisang Mokgosi also confessed to receiving R80,000. They have since resigned as MPs.

Mzwandile Masina on CR17: Wrong is wrong no matter who does it

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Mayor of Ekurhuleni Mzwandile Masina has urged African National Congress (ANC) members to uphold principle at all times.

Masina, who is also chairperson of ANC in Ekurhuleni, insisted that “wrong is wrong no matter who does it.

He made the comments in an opinion piece published on News24 on Tuesday.

He was reacting to the ongoing revelations about CR17 campaign donors and beneficiaries.

The campaign propelled President Cyril Ramaphosa to the ANC presidency at the party’s 54th national conference in 2017.

Masina lamented that the revelations have “demonstrated the death of principle” within the ANC in the way some ANC comrades seek to defend certain individuals.

We cannot and must never normalise a culture where we defend individuals who commit questionable acts in their personal capacities, and then want to claim that such defence is necessary or even revolutionary.

Mzwandile Masina

The regional chairperson contended that such a culture would result in personality cults in the ANC.

We must learn, as ANC members, that principles are fundamental. Above all, that wrong is wrong no matter who does it.

Mzwandile Masina

He suggested that some in the CR17 campaign may have engaged in “money laundering and tax avoidance.”

Masina further denied that he was being “oppositionist to ANC leadership” by raising these concerns.

He insisted that holding a different view, even against the president, must never make an ANC member a “pariah.”

Battle of IOL journos: Oliver Meth files complaint against Piet Rampedi

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Journalists Oliver Meth and Piet Rampedi’s social media beef has taken on an official turn involving their mutual employer IOL.

Meth announced on Twitter on Monday that he has filed a formal complaint with IOL against Rampedi for “lies peddled against me.”

I’ve since lodged a formal complaint against my colleague @pietrampedi, with our @IOL employer under the company’s grievances procedure, in relation to #CR17BankStatements lies peddled about me.

Oliver Meth

Their dispute relates to revelations from leaked bank records that Meth received funds from the CR17 campaign.

On Saturday, Meth confirmed that he had worked as a media consultant for the CR17 campaign.

He further explained that he was not a practising journalist during the time he worked for CR17 campaign.

In addition, he said he has always disclosed in his bylines for opinion articles that he had consulted for CR17.

Rampedi had earlier posted several screenshots of Meth’s tweets related to the campaign as proof that he had “blurred the lines” of journalism and CR17 paid work.

Rampedi remains unfazed by Meth’s formal complaint against him.

In a reply to Meth’s tweet, he doubled down on his claims that Meth never disclosed his paid consultancy for CR17.

I’m ashamed to know you’re my colleague @oliver_meth. I had no idea. But that makes it even worse, because you brought me into disrepute in addition to your very employers, by doubling as a paid “consultant” for a #CR17leaks political campaign, without declaring to the public.

Piet Rampedi

Nevertheless, some Twitter users shared screenshots of Meth’s disclosure in one of the opinion pieces he wrote on Daily Maverick.

IOL has not yet commented on the dispute between the two journalists.

EFF supporters slam MP for accepting CR17 funds: ‘It’s payment for spying’

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Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters on social media have lambasted EFF MP Tebogo Mokwele for accepting funds from the controversial CR17 campaign.

On Sunday, EFF issued a statement confirming that Mokwele had confessed to receiving R40,000 from the campaign.

The funds were to help Mokwele during a bereavement period, the party said.

The revelation has sparked intense debate among EFF supporters on Twitter.

Many of them criticised Mokwele for accepting the payment, with one tweep even calling it “payment for spying.”

Others called on Mokwele to “do the honourable thing” and resign because she could no longer be trusted.

Some supporters are calling on EFF to summarily expel Mokwele, apparently for being a “spy” for the ANC.

Nevertheless, some Twitter users came to the MP’s defence.

They believed her explanation that the money was for a bereavement and nothing else.

The EFF said in its statement that it would discuss what course of action to take against Mokwele.

Derek Hanekom: A different Nasrec outcome would have been disastrous for SA

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Former Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom has said that a different outcome at African National Congress (ANC) 54th conference in 2017 “would have been disastrous” for South Africa.

Hanekom made the comment on Twitter on Sunday amid the raging debate about CR17 campaign funding.

Let’s just say it, unapologetically, and be frank about it – although we should continue to strive for unity in the ANC – a different outcome at NASREC would have been disastrous for our country.

Derek Hanekom

The conference, which was held Nasrec in Johannesburg, elected Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC President. He later became South Africa’s President.

Ramaphosa was up against Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who was widely believed to have been backed by former President Jacob Zuma.

Hanekom, who is also an ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member, was reacting to Ramaphosa’s comments on the ongoing CR17 controversy.

Speaking before his departure from Tanzania on Sunday, Ramaphosa said the controversy is not distracting him from his work as president.

Issues that are going on with the Public Protector are par for the course. These are political things that are happening. They are not distracting me.

I was elected by the people of South Africa to do their work and I’ll carry on doing their work.

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Social media is awash with leaked bank statements allegedly from the CR17 campaign accounts.

They reportedly show how individuals received funds from the campaign, apparently to do campaign work in support of Ramaphosa’s candidacy.

Mbeki: ANC won’t allow ANC leaders to be bought by monopoly capital

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Former President Thabo Mbeki has said the African National Congress (ANC) would not allow ANC leaders to be “bought by monopoly capital.”

Mbeki, who is also former ANC President, was speaking at an interactive session with students of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute in Pretoria on Thursday.

A student asked him if he feared that big businesses have “captured” ANC leaders.

I’m quite certain that, as members of the ANC, we would never allow a situation in which leaders of the ANC are bought by monopoly capital; that they cease to be our leaders; [that] they become the property of somebody else.

If that happens, you should blame the rest of us, but I don’t think we would allow that to happen.

So it’s not a particular fear that I have, that anybody has been bought by monopoly capital.

Former President Thabo Mbeki

President Cyril Ramaphosa is currently embroiled in controversy surrounding the donors to his 2017 CR17 campaign for the ANC’s presidency.

Last weekend, The Sunday Independent revealed some of the donors, such as the billionaire Oppenheimer family and Colin Coleman, CEO of Goldman Sachs Southern Africa.

This has sparked claims that “white monopoly capital” has captured the president.

In an article in IOL, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Deputy President Floyd Shivambu argued that Ramaphosa is “a rented president.”

The white capitalists united in support for Ramaphosa to win over the ANC, with the end goal being the capture of the state.

EFF Deputy President Floyd Shivambu

However, Ramaphosa has always maintained that the donors to his campaign only supported the vision of a renewed ANC and had no expectation of anything in return.

Embarrassment for Public Protector after ‘FNB subpoena was sent to Absa’

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The Public Protector’s office was reportedly involved in an embarrassing mixup after a subpoena was sent to the wrong bank.

Mail & Guardian is reporting that a subpoena meant for FNB was actually sent to Absa.

To make matters worse, an email follow-up from Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s office to Absa never reached Absa – all because of a missing letter in the email address.

Absa sent an email to Mkhwebane’s office to ask for the correct subpoena because it would have been “irregular” to comply based on the wrong one.

However, that email similarly never reached her office because of a missing letter in the email address.

In the end, Mkhwebane concluded that Absa was uncooperative and obtained the CR17 bank records from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).

Mkhwebane issued the subpoena as part of her investigation into CR17 campaign fundraising.

She has since released the report, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken on judicial review.

The comedy of errors has apparently led the president’s legal team to question whether Mkhwebane obtained the bank records lawfully or not.

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