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Ramaphosa must answer VBS allegations - Mmusi Maimane

Mmusi Maimane |
14 October 2018
DA leader says President reportedly knew of looting as far back as early 2017

DA Leader Maimane to probe President Ramaphosa in Parliament over allegations of prior knowledge of VBS capture

Reports today that President Cyril Ramaphosa had prior knowledge of grand corruption and looting at VBS as far back as the beginning of last year and failed to act are incredibly serious allegations and need to be answered by the President with haste.

I will therefore be submitting an urgent question to be asked during Oral Questions to President Ramaphosa in Parliament on Thursday to confirm the veracity of these allegations. Our lawyers are also considering charges against the President in accordance with the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).

The President was allegedly made aware of bank executives’ involvement in the wholesale graft and plunder at VBS during a meeting in Johannesburg in early 2017. A shareholder at VBS reportedly met with then Deputy President Ramaphosa, informed him of the corruption at VBS and Ramaphosa committed to intervene.

While President Ramaphosa’s Spokesperson, Khusela Diko, has denied this meeting ever occurred, the President would be wise to use his final Oral Questions session for the year next week to play open cards with the people of South Africa.

Recent allegations suggest that the R8.5 million VBS loan that former President Jacob Zuma used to pay back part of his Nkandla upgrades was used as political security. South Africa cannot afford another compromised President.

This is all symptomatic of the loss of power in a liberation movement and is demonstrable of the politics of patronage trumping the service of citizens. The absence of divisive action and the protection of certain individuals can only mean that unity in the ANC is more important than accountability to the ruling party.

And it begs the question of what other scandals the President also had knowledge of. This system of corruption must be broken.

President Ramaphosa’s ‘New Dawn’ glass box seems to have shattered. He has already confirmed his willingness to appear before the State Capture Commission and now needs to start picking up the shards of this ANC-created mess and come clean with South Africa.

Statement issued by DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, 14 October 2018