Ramaphosa Says ANC Is Accused No. 1 in South African Graft
Ramaphosa Says ANC Is Accused No. 1 in South African Corruption
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrown down the gauntlet to detractors in the ruling party who’ve been undermining his efforts to combat graft, as public anger mounts over the misappropriation of funds to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
In an unprecedented seven-page letter circulated to members of the African National Congress at the weekend, Ramaphosa warned that the 108-year-old party’s reputation is being undermined and its support is being eroded by officials who abused their positions for personal gain.
“We have allowed corruption to continue and, at times, to flourish within our ranks,” Ramaphosa said in the letter -- the first such appeal he’s addressed directly to the party’s rank and file. “The ANC may not stand alone in the dock, but it does stand as accused No. 1. This is the stark reality that we must now confront.”
The ANC led the fight against white-minority rule and has held power since the country’s first multi-racial elections in 1994. Graft became endemic during the nine-year rule of Ramaphosa’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma. More than 500 billion rand ($29.5 billion) was probably looted from state coffers during the period, according to government estimates.
Ramaphosa has repeatedly pledged to address corruption, but his efforts have been stymied by his predecessor’s allies. Several ANC officials implicated in graft allegations still occupy top party and government posts, and law-enforcement agencies haven’t made any successful prosecutions to date.
Revelations that more 5 billion rand worth of state contracts for goods and services to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic were tainted by allegations of impropriety are particularly galling for Ramaphosa. Those alleged to have benefited include companies owned by the husband of his now-suspended spokeswoman Khusela Diko, and two of ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule’s sons.
“The entire leadership of the ANC, including the secretary-general, is in full support of the contents of the letter from President Ramaphosa as it reflects and represent the views of the collective,” the party said a statement.
‘Losing Faith’
It’s unclear whether Ramaphosa’s appeal will have any impact, given that he may lack the support needed to overhaul the party’s organizational culture, according to Louw Nel, an analyst at NKC African Economics.
“South Africans are generally losing faith that the ANC is willing or able to address the rot within the organization and the government it leads,” Nel said. “One letter will not change that.”
Busi Mavuso, who heads lobby group Business Leadership South Africa, sees the Ramaphosa administration making slow but steady progress in the fight against graft, with positive signals emerging that law-enforcement agencies appear intent on taking action.
“The ANC risks being seen increasingly at odds with the public,” Mavuso said in her weekly newsletter. “It needs to be deadly serious about rooting corruption out of its ranks.”
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.