Maimane: “No, President Ramaphosa, A Bribe is a Bribe”

Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader Mmusi Maimane on Friday submitted a request to the Public Protector to investigate the relationship of President Cyril Ramaphosa with African Global Operations (formerly known as Bosasa).

Maimane said if the Public Protector finds that the President knowingly and wilfully misled Parliament, he will have to face the consequences.

In a message to all South Africans, Maimane said: “President Ramaphosa lied to Parliament, and the nation, about the R500,000 paid to him by the corruption-plagued company Bosasa last year.

“He told us it was legitimate money earned by his son for consulting work, and that he had even seen the contract. But when the truth emerged – that the money was in fact for him and his personal election campaign – he tried to beat the media to the story by issuing a retraction and correction.

“This is an extremely serious breach of conduct in terms of the Executive Ethics Act and not, as he and Jackson Mthembu have been at pains to explain, just an innocent mistake. It has very serious implications for his Presidency and cannot be made to go away by a sheepish apology.”

The way government corruption works…

Maimane explained that the way ‘corruption’ in government works is that: “The company makes a “donation” to the politician, and in return the company is rewarded with government contracts. These contracts are usually awarded outside of the normal tender process, and often at inflated prices. But that’s why they paid the bribe. That’s how you purchase yourself a President.”

He said it happens daily at all levels of government and has “become the accepted way of doing business with the ANC”.

Maimane claimed they “never use their own bank accounts – there is always a middleman. This could be a family member, a shell company or a trust account – anything to put a little distance between them and the person paying the bribe.”

He said he was revealing this to the South African public because Ramaphosa “desperately needs you to believe it wasn’t a bribe, because if you don’t – if you add up two and two and get four – your only conclusion will be that our new President is not so different from the old one…

“A bribe is a bribe, whether it is paid to a local councillor, to Jacob Zuma or to Cyril Ramaphosa. If we were outraged when others did it, we should be equally outraged when the new President does it.

“Last year, as he was campaigning to become President of the ANC, and later of our country, he was bankrolled by all sorts of people. This is normal. It costs money to run a campaign. What isn’t normal, however, is when those making the donations go on to benefit from government contracts. That’s the bit the ANC don’t want to talk about. That’s the difference between a donation and a bribe.”

Bosasa is not just another anonymous donor

Maimane said Bosasa is not just another anonymous donor like Ramaphosa wants people to believe.

“Very few companies do bigger business with the state than Bosasa. Even fewer of them have a background of corruption that matches that of Bosasa.

“This is a company with government contracts worth more than R10 billion with Correctional Services, Home Affairs, Social Development and the Airports Company SA.

“It is also a company that has been under investigation for large-scale fraud and corruption for more than a decade. Some reports say that over 400 criminal cases involving Bosasa have been referred to the NPA by the Special Investigation Unit.”

He said if anyone needs further proof of Bosasa’s “dirty business with the ANC” they need just look at “the list of cadres who were gifted expensive security services at their private homes by the company. Since 2013 Bosasa has installed high-end alarm systems, CCTV cameras and electric fencing, completely free of charge, for the likes of Gwede Mantashe, Nomvula Mokonyane, Thabang Makwetla, Dudu Myeni (SAA), Linda Mti, Mbulelo Gingcana (PRASA) and Vincent Smith.

“And finally, let us not forget the tried and tested modus operandi of ANC Presidents and Ministers: Get the family, and specifically the children, in on the deal. We saw it with the children and nephew of Jacob Zuma. And now we are seeing it with Ramaphosa’s son, Andile.

“As the President admitted in Parliament – before half retracting this admission later when the truth came out – his son does business with Bosasa. The President said that he confronted his son about these dealings and was assured that all was above board.

“We know that Andile is involved with 34 different companies, but we don’t know which of these deal with African Global/Bosasa and what the nature of this business is. What we certainly won’t do is accept, without questioning…”

Maimane concluded that the President’s links to Bosasa – including all payments made to him, to the ANC and to his son, whether directly or through shell companies, third parties or trust accounts – must be investigated in detail.

“It is now six days since I called for this investigation, and we are yet to hear from the President when and how this will take place.”

He said “clumsy excuses” are not enough and nor is a promise to pay back the “dirty money” or every criminal could offer that, and walk away.

Addressing the President, the DA Leader said: “When it comes to your Bosasa money Mr President, we demand the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Whatever the consequences for you and your party.”