Scopa sends 8 questions to Ramaphosa on misuse of state funds

President Cyril Ramaphosa is under pressure to come clean on his comments about  public funds being misused to fund ANC factions, with parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) asking him to answer eight questions before deciding whether to summon him.

Ramaphosa’s comments, in a leaked recording of an ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting, are also the subject of a probe by public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

Despite attempts by the ANC caucus to shield Ramaphosa from Scopa’s scrutiny, committee chair Mkhuleko Hlengwa has sent a letter to the president asking him to explain his NEC remarks.

The Scopa probe follows a letter from ANC MP Mervyn Dirks asking the parliamentary oversight committee to summon Ramaphosa to account for his remarks. Dirks was subsequently suspended from his parliamentary duties and faces disciplinary action within his party. He belongs to an ANC faction that is opposed to Ramaphosa’s leadership.

Despite the ANC having taken action against Dirks, Scopa called on him to make a presentation to it on Tuesday.

This was before it decided to write to Ramaphosa.

In the audio, leaked to the Daily News last year, Ramaphosa can  be heard saying: “One of the officials said, as these people from the State Security [Agency] testify [at the state capture commission], one of the officials said soon they will be revealing about how money was used for some campaigns, and I said I would rather they say you got money from this business for CR17 than for the public to finally hear that their public money was used to advance certain campaigns.”

He was referring to allegations of the misuse of public funds at the ANC Nasrec conference in 2017.

Hlengwa informed Ramaphosa that after consideration of his written response, the committee will consider whether it is necessary to invite the president to provide additional records or to appear before Scopa.

Full story in the Sunday Times on Sunday.

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