“If it turns out that there’s any illegality and corruption in the way that he has dealt with this matter, I will be the first, absolutely the first to make sure he becomes accountable even if it means that I’m the one that will take him to the police station.”
This is what President [Cyril] Ramaphosa said in parliament in response to [DA leader] Mmusi Maimane’s question about a certain R500,000 which was allegedly paid to Andile Ramaphosa by African Global Operations, formerly Bosasa.
The response sounded impressive, especially in comparison to the responses we used to get from former president Jacob Zuma about his own son, Duduzane.
However, it also sounded a bit melodramatic. I mean, we are talking about a full-grown man here, who could easily present himself to the police should the need arise, as is customary for connected individuals to do.
It became even more interesting when Andile responded soon after that he had no knowledge of such a payment.
Somehow this blatant contradiction displayed how difficult the position of president possibly is, especially for Ramaphosa right now.
I mean, this was embarrassing. Whether as a response to that contradiction or as a result of some digging, or newly supplied information, a new explanation came about.
Apparently the R500, 000 was in actual fact a donation from corruption-accused Bosasa towards Ramaphosa’s presidential campaign.
It would be interesting to know why the president felt he could confidently answer a question, in parliament, on behalf of his son. Could it be that he had anticipated the question and thought he had everything under control on the matter?
Does Andile actually have a contract with Bosasa, and if so, what was he paid? Where did Maimane come up with the R500,000 figure, which Andile denies, but which the presidential campaign acknowledges?
Could it be the question was designed to reveal the Bosasa donation, seeing as it is that the company is implicated in corruption? Seemingly more questions need to be answered.
I suppose Maimane also has questions to answer, albeit different ones, like what on earth is happening in the DA?
Having said all that, we still need to be aware that SA is facing far more serious and possibly devastating matters.
The last thing we need is an ugly fight, which seems to be brewing in the ANC ahead of the 2019 elections, to spew into the open and dent our already compromised economy.
Our economy is facing real threats and we need all hands on deck to bring things back to some semblance of a growing modern economy.
If political leaders think there’s space for political point scoring, instead of making every effort to build a better SA, it may be confirmation that these politicians still don’t get it. They only about care about their political ambitions.
It would be interesting also to learn how a sitting president, with all the resources we place at his disposal, can make such a silly mistake. How could he answer a question either with insufficient information, or be played into unwittingly revealing the Bosasa donation? This is not to suggest such a revelation is undesirable. We would all love to know who donates what to whom, all around.
However, the unsettling sense of political games does not sit well at all, especially, if its effect is to embarrass a president whose main task is to turn things around. Playing political games at this time is like dancing on a slippery slope, very close to a cliff.
The ramifications do not only involve Ramaphosa, but the country as a whole. The fact that the president’s campaigners are ready to pay back the money does not begin to address the matter. What is needed here is an investigation which will reveal the truth.
In the meantime, Ramaphosa must continue with his attempts to turn our economy around, clean up government and create a cohesive vision to bring the country behind him.
The suspicions that this may be a sinister plot hatched by those who oppose him within the ANC will hopefully be brought to light by an investigation. If any wrongdoing is uncovered, swift action must be taken. This is of course, if the president did not lie to parliament in the first place...