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Lungisa calls for Ramaphosa to appear before integrity commission over CR17 campaign

Andile Lungisa wants the ANC's top brass to deal with the issue of fundraising for President Cyril Ramaphosa's CR17 campaign in 2017.
Andile Lungisa wants the ANC's top brass to deal with the issue of fundraising for President Cyril Ramaphosa's CR17 campaign in 2017.
Image: Gallo Images / Foto24 / Felix Dlangamandla

Nelson Mandela Bay ANC councillor Andile Lungisa has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to appear before the party’s integrity commission over his CR17 campaign.

In a scathing letter addressed to party’s top six officials Lungisa alleged that Ramaphosa raised close to R1billion to campaign for the position of president ahead of the 2017 ANC national conference was unANC and warrants that he appears before the integrity commission.

Lungisa’s letter comes just days after Ramaphosa wrote to ANC members calling for those who are implicated in corruption to explain themselves before the commission failing which they must step down.

In his counter letter, Lungisa - who was forced to resign as a member of the mayoral campaign over assault charges - said "it was unheard of in the ANC that someone would raise money from businesses to campaign for the highest position in the party".

“In the history of the ANC this has never happened. It is foreign culture in the movement where money is raised by business people in support of a candidate to emerge using their financial influence which was proven to influence the conference outcomes,” Lungisa said Leaked financial bank statements showed that millions of rands were raised to fund Ramaphosa’s  presidential campaign, dubbed CR17, ahead of the ANC national conference held in Nasrec in 2017 where he emerged a victor.

Lungisa is a staunch supporter of former president Jacob Zuma and Ramaphosa's ANC presidential opponent in 2017, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Three years into Ramaphosa’s election as ANC president and subsequently that of the country, Lungisa wants him to face the music for what he says is a threat to the party’s national democratic revolution.

“This letter on Cde President Cyril Ramaphosa being taken on integrity commission is not based on expediency as some simpletons will accuse me of. It is based on pursuing parts that are good for the years that will benefit and strengthen the ANC and allow its leadership to implement conference resolutions,” Lungisa added.

He said it was noteworthy that at the time of his presidential campaign, Ramaphosa was no ordinary party member but its deputy president and that of the country.

“He knew that such collection of millions was done in his name and to influence the outcome of a conference of the ANC,” he said.

“He further did nothing to call the grouping out of order or better to bring the officials of the ANC into confidence about this foreign tendency. His actions were against the culture, tradition and internal organisational processes.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa answered questions from MPs on Thursday August 27 2020 relating to Covid-19 corruption and gender-based violence. Things got heated between DA interim leader John Steenhuisen and Ramaphosa. Here are four key points from the Q&A session.

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