Cape Town - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has backtracked on his earlier decision to come clean on his alleged extramarital affairs after he received advice from ANC leaders and party structures.
Ramaphosa’s decision in Parliament on Wednesday came after the ANC in the Northern Cape urged him not to disclose details of his private life to the public. Cosatu took a similar stance a few weeks ago that his private life did not mean he did not qualify to lead the ANC in December.
Ramaphosa raised the issue in the National Council of Provinces after the EFF asked how it would affect his leadership.
When addressing the National Assembly last week, Ramaphosa said he was going to come clean on the matter.
But on Wednesday, he said he was no longer going to do so.
“I did say in the National Assembly I will be dealing with this matter in a day or two. I was counselled by leaders in the movement and structures in the lower level on the West Rand who said ‘you take responsibility and you have discussed it with your wife and family’, they said you should not take it further.”
He added that when he raised the issue in the National Assembly last week, some ANC leaders said he could not raise it there.
“I take responsibility. I discussed it with my family and my wife, and I take responsibility for that. I take instructions from my organisation and structures that this matter has been addressed.”
Ramaphosa’s alleged extramarital affairs has been a subject of public discussion since The Sunday Independent published the story two weeks ago.
However, Ramaphosa put the matter to rest and said he would no longer address it in public.
The deputy president also spoke out against state capture, saying this must be investigated. He said institutions meant to investigate state capture must do their work.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Hawks have been accused of dragging their feet on investigating the leaked Guptas emails and the public protector’s report.
NPA head Shaun Abrahams last week defended his decision in Parliament and said they were conducting seven investigations involving Eskom and Transnet and Gupta-linked companies Trillian and Tegeta.
“I have been very clear on this matter and I have said those institutions whose job is to investigate must act.”
He hoped the law enforcement agencies would begin with the investigations. This was what the public was expecting them to do.
“Let us give them an opportunity and a chance to do their work,” said Ramaphosa.
Several committees in Parliament have launched their own probe into state capture.
President Jacob Zuma was this week taken to the high court in Pretoria to force him to appoint a commission of inquiry into state capture.
This followed the recommendation by former public protector Thuli Madonsela that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng must appoint the sole judge to lead the inquiry.
Judgment has been reserved in the high court application on the matter.