Johannesburg - Pro-Jacob Zuma ANC activists in Gauteng are questioning President Cyril Ramaphosa’s legitimacy.
They have instructed lawyers to approach the North Gauteng High Court to force the party to release financial documents for his 2017 presidential campaign.
“The lawyers are busy preparing as we only instructed them through a letter on Friday. They are still putting the papers together, and yes it will be done,” said ANC veteran Carl Niehaus, who speaks for the group known as Radical Economic Transformation.
He said they have also written to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, asking him to give them access to financial documents, bank statements and emails that were exchanged by CR17 campaigners prior and during the 54th national conference that was held in Nasrec, outside Johannesburg.
They also want the ANC to institute an internal inquiry into allegations that Ramaphosa won through buying delegates to sway their votes.
Niehaus said Magashule had not yet responded to their request, which they made on March 6, but he had acknowledged receiving the letter.
He said the group had given Magashule 14 days to respond.
Ramaphosa narrowly defeated Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma for the position of president.
KwaZulu-Natal ANC veteran and former MEC Meshack Radebe last year told Independent Media that he was shocked to witness large cash being given away at a foyer of a hotel he and other delegates were staying in for the conference.
“One of the leaders who was giving out money is now a minister. Delegates were each counting R5 000, R3 000, R4 000,” Radebe said.
Another ANC veteran Tokyo Sexwale had recently also expressed the same concern.
Former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi had told the Zondo Commission about R500000, which later emerged that it was used by the CR17 for campaign purposes.
With former DA leader Mmusi Maimane relentlessly demanding Ramaphosa to give clarity on funds, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane instituted a probe and later made findings.
She found that there was prima facie evidence of money laundering of more than R400million donated towards the CR17 campaign.
However, the North Gauteng High Court earlier this month overturned Mkhwebane’s findings, saying that she had no jurisdiction over ANC internal matters.
Niehaus said that ANC members had jurisdiction to demand answers to allegations.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe had not responded by late on Thursday night.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko was said to be in a meeting when contacted for comment.
Political analyst Imraan Buccus said: “The irony is that many of those who are advancing this belong to the grouping that has been historically looting the public purse.
“Now that they have fallen out of political favour and are losing political support and relevance, they are trying hard to get a trump card.”