Tomorrow evening President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) embroiled in personal controversy. The President has to date failed to provide the nation with answers as to the R500 000 “donation” he received from Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson, and his son Andile’s subsequent business contracts with Bosasa.
We cannot expect President Ramaphosa to provide answers to our nation’s greatest crises when he cannot provide answers to his and his family’s relationship with a company that has succeeded by bribing ANC and senior government officials for the better part of two decades.
Today at least eight people involved in Bosasa bribery were charged with corruption, none of whom are the connected ANC politicians that received such bribes.
From Gwede Mantashe, to Nomvula Mokonyane, to Vincent Smith – not a single ANC politician has been held to account.
This in many ways shows that President Ramaphosa is unable to deal with politicians in his own ranks who have lied and looted at the expense of the people of South Africa. Former President Jacob Zuma was a man of lies and inaction; and President Ramaphosa has shown himself to be of the same poor calibre. President Ramaphosa is the driver of the same broken bus. South Africa needs a new bus, not just a new driver.
Before President Ramaphosa steps up to the podium to deliver his SONA, he must come clean with South Africa and tell the nation the truth. We cannot afford another “President Angazi”.
In addition to this, the President should immediately instruct his Cabinet to audit all government contracts and deals with Bosasa and instruct his Cabinet to cancel all existing government contracts with Bosasa.
The Zondo Commission has shown to the world how Bosasa has been an ongoing enrichment project for the ANC for the past two decades, and how our people were sold out for a braai pack and some beer. It is the President’s inaction towards this which is highly suspicious.
It is vital that the President comes clean ahead of the State of the Nation and tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Anything less will show where his true loyalties lie.
The process of building one South Africa for All and taking the country in the right direction can only begin when the people use their power to vote for change.