President on charm offensive over list

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday warned that those in the ANC who had engaged in crime and wrongdoing but still made it on to the party’s candidates list to Parliament, were not off the hook.

Ramaphosa was yesterday campaigning in Soweto, Johannesburg, as part of the ANC’s battle to regain control of Gauteng in the May national and provincial elections.

He said despite the party’s massive losses in the 2016 municipal election – which cost it Johannesburg and Tshwane – the party was on a path of renewal.

Speaking on the sidelines of a “door-to-door” campaign in Orlando East, Ramaphosa said the party’s leadership had, however, no powers to exclude its tainted leaders from the list, because they were chosen by lower structures.

“We are a broad movement. We are a party that does not impose representatives from the top. They were chosen from the bottom by the membership of the organisation, and we must respect the democratic process.”

He said the party was waiting for the criminal justice system to look into the allegations levelled against some leaders – who include Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, Minister in the Presidency for Women Bathabile Dlamini and former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba.

“The membership chose them knowingly, saying we will allow all the processes to unfold and if people are found guilty of criminal conduct or of misbehaviour, they will be dealt with through the criminal justice system.” PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa wants all the money that was illegally looted in the awarding of tenders at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) to be recovered by investigating agencies.

Yesterday, Ramaphosa ordered the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe corruption at the NHLS.

It has been reported that more than R250million was lost due to alleged corruption, and some of NHLS’s top officials were suspended.

Now the president wants the SIU to get to the bottom of malfeasance in multiple tenders at the health laboratory and recoup the cash.

“The allegations of wrongdoing pertain to the period between July 1, 2015 and the present. In a proclamation

Cyril Ramaphosain terms of the SIU and Special Tribunals Act of 1996, the president has directed that the allegations be investigated and that civil proceedings emanating from such investigation be adjudicated upon,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko.

Nomvula Mokonyane