×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

Ramaphosa urges union members to blow whistle on state capture

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: Alaister Russell
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: Alaister Russell

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on union members to report corruption and state capture.

He was speaking at the 30th birthday celebration of the National Health Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu)‚ held in Cape Town.

Ramaphosa said public servants were “the first line of defence in protecting our state from being captured through nefarious and elicit conduct.

He added: “We are talking about our state being captured by people who just want to milk the state’‚ who want to rob our country of the money that belongs to the people.”

Ramaphosa said the world views South Africa negatively because of allegations of state capture.

“That is not the South Africa that we want. That is not the SA of our dreams. And comrades‚ you are on the first line of defence. To defend our people and defend our state from state capture‚” he said.

Ramaphosa also called on those working in government to “go forward in your numbers” to testify in the state capture inquiry currently being conducted in Parliament.

“Our people have nobody else to turn to if you fail to protect the state. You are important players in building a capable state.

“You are right there in the belly of the state. We must now say we are done with corruption in South Africa … we don’t want our country to have the label of a corrupt state.

Ramaphosa also spoke about the current state of relations in the ruling ANC alliance‚ consisting of labour federation Cosatu and the SA Communist Party (SACP).

“The alliance has not been functioning as it should. It cannot be a revolutionary alliance if it does not meet as it should‚” he said.

This week President Jacob Zuma reshuffled his Cabinet‚ removing SACP general secretary general Blade Nzimande as minister of higher education and training.

The SACP then held a press conference in which its leadership said Nzimande’s axing would place the alliance on the “brink of disintegration”.

“We emphatically reject these manoeuvres that place the alliance on the brink of disintegration. Our view is that this is not a reshuffle but the targeted removal of Nzimande as a direct attack on the SACP‚” the organisation said in a statement on Tuesday.