Cape Town – United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to explain to South Africans which other departments, municipalities, and SEOs misused public funds.
Holomisa took to his Twitter page and wrote: “The president must address the nation and tell us which other departments, municipalities and SOEs in his organisation and fellow colleagues siphoned the public funds,” he said.
#SCOPA HEARINGS: Misuse of State Security Funds by ANC. The President must address the Nation and tell us which other Departments, Municipalities and SOEs has his organisation and fellow colleagues siphoned the public funds.
— Bantu Holomisa (@BantuHolomisa) January 25, 2022
This came following remarks that Ramaphosa allegedly made in a leaked recording suggesting public funds were used in an internal election of the ruling party.
Parliament’s powerful Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) wrote to Ramaphosa demanding he responds “in writing to the allegations of the misuse of public funds for political party purposes”.
Ramaphosa was given 10 working days to reply to the questions.
Part of the recording, reported by local media, said “each one of us knows that quite a bit of money that is used in campaigns… is often from state resources and public resources”.
ALSO READ | Leaked audio: Scopa gives Cyril Ramaphosa up to 10 days to respond
The committee said it would wait to receive Ramaphosa’s written response before deciding whether to request that he appear in person before the committee to answer further questions.
The funds were allegedly used ahead of the ruling ANC’s hotly contested 2017 internal elections that saw Ramaphosa voted party leader, taking over from Jacob Zuma.
The deeply factional party goes to the polls in December to pick its leader, with Ramaphosa expected to seek relection.
Last week, a public watchdog said it had received a complaint in which a lawmaker “has alleged a breach of the executive code of ethics against the president”.
But it gave no details of the alleged breach, saying only that investigations would be finalised within 30 days.
ALSO READ | Leaked audio: Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane confirms probe into Cyril Ramaphosa
According to Times Live, Ramaphosa is accused of possibly perjuring himself when he testified at the Zondo commission by omitting to tell it about his knowledge of the alleged use of state funds for an internal ANC campaign.
In an interview with eNCA, Holomisa said that Ramaphosa must come clean.
“What President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to do is come forward and confirm what he knows about that clip.
“The public wants to know when did he know about the ANC misusing state resources? We want to know what he meant [when he said] that he would rather fall on his sword than report the perpetrators?,” Holomisa said.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Images
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Additional reporting by AFP
