President Cyril Ramaphosa has said much is being done to excise corruption. This includes in his own office, with his spokesperson Khusela Diko taking ‘leave’ as an investigation into her husband’s lucrative Covid-19 contract activities got underway (for latest developments, see BizNews Premium).
At the weekend, President Ramaphosa made publicly available a detailed letter for ANC members in which he noted that the ‘greatest outrage is that there are private sector companies and individuals (including civil servants) who have exploited a grave medical, social and economic crisis to wrongfully enrich themselves’ (full letter).
This corruption, the president continues, is an ‘unforgivable betrayal for the millions of South Africans who are being negatively affected by the impact of Covid-19, experiencing hunger daily, hopelessness and joblessness’. He’s right: just look at pain etched on the Faces of Covid-19 in this powerful BizNews photographic essay, which documents efforts to help desperately poor South Africans.
Although the president is far more open with citizens than previous incumbents, even taking the time to write weekly missives and appear for regular updates on matters like Covid-19, he has a massive communications challenge. Many people simply don’t believe Ramaphosa has the power to change the culture of corruption – as the many comments under Naysayers, pay attention. Corruption is being dealt with – JP Landman, attest.
PS: BizNews community members have free access to President Cyril Ramaphosa – the Road to Presidential Power by Anthony Butler (read by BizNews founder Alec Hogg). The first four chapters of the audio book start here. We will notify you as fresh chapters are released.
