Durban - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern that some delegates, who have been tasked by their branches to vote for him, might succumb to bribery and vote for other presidential candidates.
Ramaphosa raised the concern at a cadres’ forum at KwaGqikazi TVET College in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, yesterday. He urged delegates to vote for people who can take the ANC forward. “When you get to the conference you should do what you have been sent to do, and nothing else.
“You have been given a mandate by your branches and instead of accepting money, go to the conference and execute the mandate of the branches,” he said.
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Before addressing rallies in Nongoma and Jozini, Ramaphosa and former economic development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu visited King Goodwill Zwelithini and the Church of Nazareth, better known as the Shembe Church.
Ramaphosa described next month’s conference as being essential to correct the wrongs that have destroyed the party and the country.
Ramaphosa said there was an urgent need to rescue state-owned enterprises from corrupt private business owners and government leaders.
He said that while 70% of the country’s economy was in the hands of private business, 30% of it was run by government and was being wasted through corruption. He singled out Eskom and Transnet as being central to wasting state funds.
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“Day and night the state money disappears without a trace. There are thieves such as those who are friends with certain business people and certain families such as the Gupta family, who have invaded most of these companies and the money is disappearing, and we don’t know where it is going.
“Some of that money is taken without an invoice or a receipt; R500million disappears without an explanation. Those who are corrupt must be arrested, and the money must be claimed back,” he said. Irregularities in state-owned enterprises had dealt a heavy blow to the country’s economy.
“If things were done properly these state companies would have supported government in supplying electricity, clinics or providing children with bursaries,” he said.