President Cyril Ramaphosa has been challenged to face questions in Parliament about the ‘the feeding frenzy over Covid19-related tenders among ANC-connected individuals’.
The challenge has been made by Democratic Alliance interim leader John Steenhuisen, who called the unfolding scandals of recent days ‘a filthy stain on our country in this time of crisis’.
Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa had ‘promised the nation four months ago that any such corruption would be met with strong action’, but that his words had proved to be hollow because ‘despite this grand rhetoric, our recent news has been awash with family members of the highest-ranking ANC politicians creaming profits off Covid-19 tenders’.
Steenhuisen singled out allegations concerning:
- President Ramaphosa’s son, Andile Ramaphosa, who landed a R6 million contract to modify taxis in Gauteng to comply with Covid-19 regulations;
- The president’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko’s husband, Thandisizwe Diko, who landed a R125 million contract to supply personal protective equipment (PPE);
- ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s sons, Tshepiso Magashule and Thato Magashule, who landed Covid-19 procurement contracts in the Free State to the value of R2.7 million; and
- Former cabinet minister Nomvula Mokonyane’s daughter, Katleho Mokonyane, who landed a R3-million PPE contract despite her company being only six months old at the time.
He said cases uncovered thus far were possibly only ‘the tip of the iceberg’ of Covid-19-related corruption.
Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa must ‘come and answer for the behaviour of his party’s members and set out exactly how he intends to act against each and every implicated individual’.