President Cyril Ramaphosa spent the day before an anti-corruption commission. The Zondo Commission has been charged since 2018 with investigating suspected fraud and corruption within the state as well as the capture of power by a minority. The relationship of the sulphurous Gupta family with former President Jacob Zuma is notably at the heart of its investigations. Through this commission, the functioning of the ruling ANC party, of which Cyril Ramaphosa is president, is also exposed.
“I did not come before this commission to make excuses or to defend the indefensible,” said Cyril Ramaphosa from the outset.
“State capture and corruption have taken a heavy toll on our economy and society. They have eroded the values of our Constitution and weakened the rule of law. It is worth noting that for several years the ANC has acknowledged the extent of corruption in which some of its members have been directly or indirectly complicit. ”
President Ramaphosa did not name names and was careful not to damage his party too much: “Acknowledging these facts does not mean that the ANC is corrupt,” the head of state added.
In the audience, John Steenhuisen, the leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, is still on the fence. “We expected more…. of the people involved, many of whom are still in office, and they’re talking about a new era?”
“Progress has been made, we must move forward,” the South African president defended. The grey areas of the past, when Cyril Ramaphosa was in the ANC’s leadership, have not yet been explored.