- President Cyril Ramaphosa was grilled about his finances by the ANC’s electoral committee.
- The president was interviewed before he was given the green light to confirm his candidacy as the ANC’s presidential candidate.
- This was the first time a president was asked to submit his financials or interviewed by an electoral committee.
In a bid to avoid another Phala Phala-like scandal that embarrasses the ANC, the party’s electoral committee asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to submit a complete account of his financials.
Ramaphosa was summoned before the committee, led by former president Kgalema Motlanthe, on 25 January to face an unprecedented grilling.
The president was asked to present a list of his assets and to provide the source of his income after being asked about why he was fit to lead the party in government for a second term.
Ramaphosa’s first term in office was marked with controversy after it was revealed that millions of foreign currency, which were stored in a sofa at his private Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo, were stolen and the robbery was then concealed.
He insisted that the cash was from the sale of buffalo to Dubai-based Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa, but former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo found holes in the president’s version.
Ultimately, the ANC and Parliament protected the president and the scandal died down.
But at the virtual meeting with the ANC’s electoral committee, which began around 15:00 and lasted two hours, Ramaphosa was asked to confirm that his income was above board.
Two ANC sources said the electoral committee wanted to be sure “that another Phala Phala won’t affect us as a party”.
A senior ANC leader said:
They wanted to be comfortable that the president’s sources of income were legit and that if there’s any scandal to hit, they have records of what he presented to them.
Ramaphosa said on Thursday that he was happy to hand over his financials to the ANC electoral committee.
“I went through the interview. I was interviewed, which is a novel way we are executing our renewal process. I faced close to nine or 10 people who interviewed me about everything. They also wanted a full background of my financials, which I disclosed to them and answered many questions,” he said.
Ramaphosa said he did not resist the process because it was part of the ANC’s renewal process.
“I was with them for about two hours as they asked me lots of questions. I was rather pleased with that.”
The president was given the green light to accept a nomination to be the ANC’s presidential candidate and the face of the party for the 2024 general election.
The electoral committee interview process, which included party stalwarts such as Nora Fakude, Limpho Hani and Jerry Matjila, was the first of its kind for the ANC.
The committee vets all candidates contesting for seats in the National Assembly, the National Council of Provinces, and all nine provincial legislatures.
For the first time, candidates have been asked to submit their CVs and credentials, and party leaders are encouraged to have post-matric qualifications.
Chief Livhuwani Matsila, the committee secretary, told News24 that the committee took its meeting with Ramaphosa seriously.
He said:
Other candidates were interviewed for 30 minutes to an hour. The president was interviewed for almost two hours. That shows how seriously this was taken.
Matsila said Ramaphosa was asked about his CV and credentials. He was also asked about what he could offer the electorate for a second term.
“It was a very extensive and exhaustive interview,” he said, adding that the president was asked about the challenges facing the country and what he believed could resolve those challenges.
The committee has since compiled an asset register of the more than 1 300 candidates contesting the national and provincial elections, laying the groundwork for lifestyle audits.
The ANC introduced talk of lifestyle audits for its leaders when accusations surfaced that its leaders were living beyond their means, and since many have been implicated in corruption.
Matsila said the committee was happy with Ramaphosa’s responses and was confident in his ability to lead the party.
Ramaphosa, in his engagement with the media last Thursday, insisted that he was committed to serving a second term despite confirmation from ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula that the president was set on resigning amid the Phala Phala scandal.
“I have been asked to do a second term and I will do precisely that,” the president declared.