‘I chose to remain but resist in fight against corruption’
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT ADMITS GUPTA BROTHERS’ INFLUENCE WITH ZUMA
SOUTH AFRICA’S president Cyril Ramaphosa said he chose to “remain but resist” rather than resign as deputy president when allegations of widespread corruption surfaced under his predecessor Jacob Zuma.
Appearing last Wednesday (11) for the second time at an inquiry probing allegations of graft during Zuma’s nine years in power, Ramaphosa said the first option available to him was to resign.
While this would have earned him praise from many quarters, he said, it would have “significantly impaired” his ability to end corruption. He said he ultimately opted to “remain but to resist, hoping that we can turn things around”.
The inquiry, headed by acting chief justice Raymond Zondo, is looking into allegations including that Zuma allowed businessmen close to him – brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta – to influence policy and win lucrative government contracts.
The Gupta brothers, who are now believed to be living in Dubai, have repeatedly denied accusations of corruption.
Zuma has also denied corruption was prevalent under his administration. He claims the inquiry is politically motivated and has refused to fully cooperate with it.
Ramaphosa defeated Zuma’s exwife to win the leadership position in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in 2017. He then helped to engineer Zuma’s ouster as South Africa’s president.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I am certain that this was the necessary and correct course of action,” he said.
Ramaphosa, Zuma’s number two from May 2014 to February 2018, has made the fight against corruption a pillar of his presidency, though opposition parties have criticised him for not doing enough to tackle the issue during his time as deputy.
Meanwhile, Zuma, who is serving a 15-month sentence, was admitted to hospital last week, forcing the postponement of a separate corruption trial.
Widely referred to domestically as “state capture”, the influence of the Gupta’s extended network only became known through investigative journalists and whistleblowers at state-owned companies, including power utility Eskom and freight logistics firm Transnet.
Ramaphosa, who appeared before the State Capture Commission last Thursday (12), said divisions within the ANC prevented appropriate action against the influential Gupta family.
Referring to the relationship between Zuma and the Gupta brothers, Ramaphosa said, “They had ensconced themselves quite neatly into the various structures. They had acceptance; they had approval, and they had access; so yes, the red flag having been raised, it was not heeded. We should say that.”
Ramaphosa admitted that there had been attempts by some party members to caution the ANC about the relationship.
“Yes, I think a red flag was raised and the level of alertness should have been there.
“I think that with the Gupta family, we were blind-sighted by the fact that this family were friends to the ultimate leader of our party.
“But there were occasions when for instance transport minister Fikile (Mbalula) mentioned it in the National Executive Committee (of the ANC).”
The president added, “There was contestation in the party about how we deal with these matters – the factionalism, the division in the party and how you react to acts of corruption.”
The commission has been hearing evidence about how the Guptas also influenced key top positions.
The three Gupta brothers and their wives and children came to South Africa from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in the 1990s to grow their business. From a shoe store at a shopping centre, they established a multi-million rand empire in information technology, media and mining.
Zuma’s imprisonment last month for ignoring a court order to testify before the commission ignited some of the worst violence in post-apartheid South Africa.