Ramaphosa would testify ‘with pleasure’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told parliament that it would be his “greatest pleasure” to testify before the commission of inquiry into state capture.

Ramaphosa made the undertaking while responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday afternoon.

This comes after the DA recently mounted a public campaign to force Ramaphosa to appear as a witness before the commission of inquiry headed by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo.

DA MP Cathleen Labuschagne took up the issue with Ramaphosa during the presidential Q&A‚ and he indicated he would be happy to give evidence at the commission.

In contrast‚ former president Jacob Zuma‚ who has been directly implicated in several allegations of state capture‚ has stated that he sees no need to appear before the commission because nobody had presented enough evidence against him.

Ramaphosa said: “As far as I’m concerned‚ if the Zondo Commission asked me to appear before it‚ I have no difficulty‚ I have no opposition. I will go with a great deal of pleasure.”

He said citizens deserved to know what had been taking place in the government and its entities.

“It’s important for the people of South Africa to get to know exactly what was happening in the state and to the extent that anyone of us has a story to tell‚ has something to put forward to the Zondo Commission‚ we should never hide‚ we should go forward.

“In fact‚ it was the ANC that asked that a commission be set up so‚ as president of the ANC‚ I can never run away from a commission that we said we want to see set up.

“When the commission seeks our participation‚ we will be more than happy to go to the commission.” –