Durban - ANC presidential hopeful Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed that when he takes over he will deal harshly with corrupt officials and politicians.
Speaking at Durban’s Curries Fountain Stadium during the Young Communist League of South Africa rally, the deputy president said graft had hampered the country’s economic growth.
“All those who are corrupt are going to run to hide in a big hole because we are going to be hunting them down,” he said.
Ramaphosa said he was concerned about the status of Eskom, Transnet, Prasa and various water boards across the country that have lost huge amounts of money through corruption.
Without mentioning anyone by name, Ramaphosa said monies had been stolen from the state companies and given to certain people and families. He said he would make sure this came to an end.
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“We are saying all this should come into an end, and it will come to a stop whether they like it or not.
“We are going to make sure that our state owned enterprises are going to work properly, and they are going to have the right people working in them, they are going to have right policies, they are going to have absolutely fantastic financial management.
“Corruption will be brought to an end in our state owned enterprises,” he said.
He said his administration would drive economic transformation, and land redistribution, but unlike President Jacob Zuma, he did not elaborate on how radical he would be in his approach to trans-
formation.
“We are going to work day and night to come up with a clear strategy to transform the economy.
“The economy is owned by a few entities.
“We must now make sure that we spread the ownership of the economy of our country so that it is owned by the majority, and not just the few,” he said.
While in Durban on Sunday, Ramaphosa had in the morning attended an eThekwini Community Church service where MPL Vusi Dube prayed for the ANC to be saved from corruption and infighting.
In the evening, he attended a gathering of the South African Muslim Network where he also asked for prayers.
Ramaphosa was, at the weekend, nominated by the Western Cape Gabby Shapiro branch to be the next ANC president.
The branch its their annual meeting over the weekend where they nominated members of the national executive committee whom they recommend as leaders to be elected at the December elective conference and leaders of the ANC in 2019.
Meanwhile, another presidential hopeful, Zweli Mkhize, on Sunday described claims that he is a “Plan B” candidate handpicked by Zuma to lead the party should Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma’s campaign fail as mischievous politicking.
“This detracts from my goal to unite the ANC and South Africa.
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“Those who have resorted to this kind of politicking have a vested interest in destroying the ANC.
“Please let’s give Dlamini Zuma credit. She is a political leader in her own right and experienced enough to know what she wants. Why would she stake her claim in this race if I was Plan B all along?” said Mkhize.
Mkhize said there was a tendency for those opposed to Zuma to create a perception that anyone who comes from KZN must be colluding with the president.
“That anyone who does not show public dissent for what is happening in my party must be soft on corruption, state capture and other forms of corruption and therefore a “Zuma man”. - Additional reporting by Mary Jane Mphahlele