Civil society organisation says it has formally applied to the Zondo Commission requesting to subpoena Ramaphosa
CIVIL society organisation AfriForum says it wants to question President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture regarding the ANC’s cadre deployment policy.
AfriForum said on Monday it had formally applied to the Zondo Commission requesting to subpoena Ramaphosa.
The organisation said it wants to question Ramaphosa, but to also make a formal submission to the commission regarding the ANC’s cadre deployment.
Ernest Roets, AfriForum’s head of policy and action, said Ramaphosa was at the helm of the ANC’s cadre deployment committee between 2013 and 2016 when key appointments in the government were made.
“The application results from the fact that President Ramaphosa was chairperson of the ANC’s cadre deployment committee from 2013 to 2016. During this time, several individuals who today are accused of corruption and state capture were appointed to key positions on the ground of their loyalty to the ANC,” Roets said.
Roets added that because the ANC was often outspoken about its insistence on loyalty to the party, this often hampered key appointments.
“The ANC is outspoken about its approach that loyalty to the party is a decisive factor as far as appointments to key positions in the government are concerned. Apparently, this carries even more weight than merit and the ability to do the work. What is cloaked in secrecy, however, is exactly what this committee has been doing, and what individuals have been appointed to key positions on the ground of their loyalty to the party,” Roets said.
AfriForum also wants to question Ramaphosa on the following individuals who had served in the government or in various state-owned entities; Brian Molefe, Dudu Myeni, Pravin Gordhan, Lucky Montana, Jeff Radebe, Joseph Phungula, Sifiso Buthelezi, Thuli Madonsela, Kady Muteba, Patello Lebbaka, Francois van Eeden, Lynette Brown, Nicholas Linnel, Nhlanhla Nene and Modise Motloba.
Ramaphosa is expected to appear at the inquiry on a yet-to-be-determined date, the Commission confirmed last year.
He is expected to appear on behalf of the ANC, but he may face questions over an accusation made against him by former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe.
Molefe shocked many when he laid the blame for some of the failures of Eskom at Ramaphosa’s door.
He accused the president of being conflicted when he was appointed to head up Eskom war-room strategy, which was supposed to turn around the struggling state-owned entity.
Molefe said Ramaphosa was a chairperson of Optimum Coal Mine, which was owned by Glencore in 2012; where he also held a shareholding of 9.64%.
Molefe said Glencore sought to renegotiate the contract it had with the power utility, which would have seen it pay more than R150 for coal and also dismiss the penalties set by the entity.
– Political Bureau
