By ZINGISA MVUMVU and LULAMILE FENI
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has for the first time made a direct link between the controversial Gupta family and President Jacob Zuma’s recent cabinet reshuffle.
He also called for a commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture.
Ramaphosa said former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas had probably been fired for refusing the alleged Gupta offer of the finance minister’s position and a R600-million bribe.
Speaking at a Chris Hani memorial lecture in Uitenhage yesterday, Ramaphosa did not hold back as he laid into Zuma, saying allegations of state capture must be thoroughly probed.
“The allegations are so plentiful…that there are private individuals who exercise undue influence over state appointments and procurement should be a matter of great concern to our movement.
“One time I went to greet an old man and he said to me: ‘I won’t call you deputy president I will call you president’.
“I said: ‘Yoh, if you do that you will cause the same fate that befell Mcebisi to fall on me too’.
“Mcebisi was offered the position of the minister of finance and they even offered him money and he refused.
“He said ‘I don’t want this position’ and correctly so. Today he is without a job. It’s possible he was fired for that…so I told the old man: ‘Don’t put me in that position, I might also be fired’,” said Ramaphosa to loud applause from the capacity crowd that packed the Babs Madlakane Hall
Jonas publicly accused the Gupta family of offering him the finance minister’s position and R600-million.
In what was arguably his most outspoken speech since assuming the deputy presidency of the ANC in 2012, Ramaphosa said there was an “an elephant in the room” which no one wanted to talk about openly.
“Comrades these practices where you have a sense that decisions are taken elsewhere, threaten the integrity of the state.
“They undermine our economic progress and diminish our ability to change the lives of our people…these activities threaten the cohesion of our movement and our unity. They simply destroy trust,” he said.
State capture, said Ramaphosa, must be investigated. “It is therefore critical that the allegations of state capture should be put to rest because we talk about it quietly. We know that there’s an elephant in the room but we don’t want to talk about this elephant but we know that it is among us.
“The ANC should support the establishment of a credible mechanism to investigate these claims and a judicial commission of inquiry has been suggested.
“I support the judicial commission of inquiry to look into this matter. It is possibly the only process that will get us to the bottom of these allegations and determine their truthfulness or lack thereof.
“We need that process so that we stop gossiping,” said Ramaphosa.
It was clear that yesterday’s event was the unofficial launch of Ramaphosa’s presidential campaign.
He said the ANC elective conference in December would be “make or break” for the party – adding that its outcome would determine whether the party emerged united or as a shell of its former self.
He praised Jonas, who sat next to him at the top table, for refusing to be corrupted, although that got him fired from cabinet.
Speaking before Ramaphosa, Jonas also slated state capture saying it was not just corruption but that the country was also being stolen.
“We must guard against the robbery of the South African state by a few families. We are facing a coup right in front of our eyes,” said Jonas adding that the state capture phenomenon went far deeper than was imagined.
On the eastern part of the province, ANC head of economic transformation and national executive committee (NEC) member Enoch Godongwanwa addressed a cadres’ forum in Ngcobo where Ramaphosa’s name was raised as the most suitable successor to Zuma. ANC supporters openly sang songs supportive of Ramaphosa.
Referring to the impending vote of no confidence in on Zuma in parliament, Godongwanwa said ANC MPs were faced with a huge dilemma.
“I don’t want to be them…the big question is to either protect an individual at the expense of the ANC or choosing an individual on the expense of the country.”
“This is tough and it needs people with consciences when they are voting,’’ said Godongwana.
ANC Chris Hani regional chairman Bulelani Lali made it clear that Ramaphosa was their presidential candidate.
He said they also wanted Oscar Mabuyane to be the next provincial chairman of the ANC and OR Tambo regional secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi to be the secretary.