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In an attempt to put a lid on a controversy hanging over President Cyril Ramaphosa, his ANC presidential campaign team will move to return funds from donors that have been sitting in a trust account.
It’s unclear exactly how much is in the trust account, what the funds were used for after the Nasrec conference and how much money was deposited into the account.
In a statement on Saturday night purporting to be from those who championed Ramaphosa’s ascendency to the highest office, the group says that an audit of at least 200 funders will be conducted.
“The fundraising team has confirmed to us [the campaign management team] that the funds referred to in a parliamentary question on November 6 were paid into a trust account that was one of the avenues used by the CR17 campaign to temporarily house the funds raised for the campaign,” the statement reads.
“Members of the former campaign coordination team have resolved to return funds referred to above and have requested the donors’ list from the fundraising team for the purpose of immediately conducting an audit to ensure that fundraising processes and sources of funds were aboveboard.”
In response to a question asked by DA leader Mmusi Maimane on November 6 in Parliament, Ramaphosa said: “It was brought to my attention some time ago. I proceeded to ask my son what this was all about.
“He runs a financial consultancy business and he consults for a number of companies.
"One of those companies is Bosasa, where he provides services on entrepreneurship, particularly on the procurement process. He advises both local and international companies.
"Regarding this payment, I can assure you, Mr Maimane, that I asked him at close range whether this was money obtained illegally‚ unlawfully – and he said this was a service that was provided.
"To this end‚ he actually even showed me a contract that he signed with Bosasa. The contract also deals with issues of integrity‚ issues of anticorruption and all that.”
However, in a statement issued by the presidency, Ramaphosa retracted the response, saying: “Since my reply in the National Assembly, I have sought to get more information regarding this matter.
"I have been subsequently informed that the payment referred to in the supplementary question by [Maimane] does not relate to that contract.
"I have been told that the payment to which the [Maimane] referred was made on behalf of Mr Gavin Watson into a trust account that was used to raise funds for a campaign established to support my candidature for the presidency of the ANC.
"The donation was made without my knowledge. I was not aware of the existence of the donation at the time that I answered the question in the National Assembly.”
The CR17 team said the funds were used to pay for venues, transport, accommodation and other “campaign-related activities”.
The CR17 statement said the finance team was ring-fenced from other functions and that Ramaphosa was not personally involved in the fundraising, and was unaware of the donors with the exception of his attendance at some fundraising events.
“Donors were asked to support the campaign to restore the integrity and cohesion of the ANC, and to put South Africa back on a path of growth and transformation, with an explicit understanding that their contribution would earn them no special favours or undue advantage,” the statement reads.
“Subsequent to the ANC’s Nasrec conference, the CR17 campaign folded its operations and used all remaining funds to settle its obligations to service providers.”
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