Johannesburg - Mamphela Ramphele, the leader of AgangSA, was at pains to explain her role as a former mining boss after being confronted by a flurry of questions about her role in Gold Fields and her commitment to transformation.
This took place during her visit to the township of Bekkersdal, west of Joburg, on Tuesday.
She also had to fend off questions around her disclosure, on June 27 this year, of her net worth of R55 million, mostly accrued from shares in Anglo American and Gold Fields.
“I didn’t do the declaration to show off, but as a way to fight corruption. I wanted to say that if anyone wants to represent you as a leader, then they must declare their assets. The main issue is transparency and not publicity,” Ramphele said.
Ramphele’s visit to the troubled township came amid reports of further protest actions aimed at removing the mayor and the entire council next week.
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa ordered the closure of voter registration stations there when irate residents burnt municipal buildings and clashed with police.
Ramphele had to deal with tough questions from residents interrogating her about her wealth and what they apparently thought was not much of a transformative role while a board member of several mining companies.
“I was on the (Gold Fields) board and not the executive. I take your criticism that I shouldn’t take reports (at face value),” she said, adding that she would try to get clarity from Gold Fields about its plans to benefit mining communities.
The Star