CAPE TOWN — We have an unusual new pair of gladiators pitted against one other in South Africa’s bloody arena just lately. Both are hurling insults at one another and arming themselves for what looks like a fight to the death. So far, that’s unremarkable to most of us inured to endemic violence, empty rhetoric and corruption. Except here, both contenders are arch opponents of the ruling party, which ironically has a strong investment in seeing one emerge victorious. For this event, the hard, dusty coliseum floor is littered with bank notes tossed from the watching masses, ready for the victor’s weary grasp. The bookies are doing a roaring business. You see forensic sleuth and nemesis of many a corrupt ANC politician or top official, Paul O’Sullivan is a long-time friend and associate of President Cyril Ramaphosa. DA leader Mmusi Maimane, who is attempting to tar Ramaphosa with the same brush as the Zuptoids and/or the Watsons, is not. It’s a fascinating read, this first parry by O’Sullivan of Maimane’s daring thrust. At stake is the emperor’s credibility over who backed his bid for the throne and how – and the air is thick with bets. – Chris Bateman
By Mmusi Maimane*
Forensics for Justice Founder, Paul O’Sullivan’s, reply to my Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) requests to President Ramaphosa, his son Andile Ramaphosa and Bosasa [now African Global Operations (AGO)], is simply not true and his spin of the Ramaphosa family’s involvement in the ANC-Bosasa empire is available for all to see in a transcript where he attests to having a relationship that goes back as far with the Ramaphosa’s as the beginning of Bosasagate itself and that their kids played together while fawning over the President’s integrity.
See Paul O’Sullivan’s reply to this here – PoliticsWeb
It is a sad reminder of quite how vulnerable South Africa’s democracy is to being manipulated by fake news and disinformation. The people of South Africa deserve to know, in the spirit and purport of the promotion of access to information and transparency, the full unredacted terms and conditions of the agreement between Bosasa (AGO) and Andile Ramaphosa’s Blue Crane Capital (Blue Crane) which the DA’s lawyers will be approaching the Courts for relief over.
The terms and conditions of the Blue Crane-AGO agreement as signed by Ramaphosa Junior continues to be spun in the same circle of secrecy as the terms and conditions of the R33bn loan between Eskom and the China Development Bank as signed by President Ramaphosa under the smokescreen of ‘commercial sensitivity’. ‘Commercial sensitivity’ is a smokescreen manipulated by Presidents’ and their sons’ to cover up dirty deals and is a dishonest legal loophole being abused over an agreement that the President said he has seen, believed was above board and which I have since requested through a PAIA.
With the monthly retainer paid to Ramaphosa Junior by AGO redacted from the agreement, it is high time that President Ramaphosa play open cards with the people of South Africa by disclosing the invoices over how much his son has been paid per month on retainer by Bosasa. Former Bosasa COO, Angelo Agrizzi’s devastating testimony makes it clear that all Bosasa contracts with the state were tainted by bribery and corruption so the onus is on President Ramaphosa and his son to prove that this agreement was not tainted by bribery and corruption.
21 projects were reportedly in process between Blue Crane and AGO as at September last year. If a former Bosasa COO categorically stated that all contracts between Bosasa and the ANC government were tainted by bribery and corruption, it is the height of hypocrisy and double standards for the business relationship between the President, his son’s company and Bosasa to be ‘assumed’ to be any different to all other ANC government contracts with Bosasa.
Bosasa will reportedly bank R415m in government contracts this Election year. The public deserves to know what the President and his son continues to get out of these deals and why the President must cancel all government contracts with Bosasa, instruct Cabinet to audit all government contracts and deals with Bosasa as requested by our lawyers and institute an independent inquiry into the relationship between him, his family and Bosasa.
If the President or his family are found guilty of corruption, he must put his actions where his silver tongue is and walk his son to jail for a minimum of 15 years. Change that builds One South Africa for All demands nothing less.
- Issued by Mmusi Maimane, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 1 February 2019.
