Riyaz Patel
DA leader Mmusi Maimane has submitted an urgent question to President Cyril Ramaphosa – related to CR17 campaign payments to at least four Cabinet Ministers – when he appears in the National Assembly for his first oral reply session of the sixth Parliament Thursday.
Maimane wants to know, “Whether the appointments of Ms K P S Ntshavheni to the position of Minister of Small Business Development; Ms R T Siweya to the position of Deputy Minister in the Presidency; Mr F Mbalula to the position of Minister of Transport; and Mr Z Kodwa to the position of Deputy Minister of State Security; were informed in any way by the fact that they worked for, and received payment from his CR17 campaign?“
Weekend reports stated Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign made payments to at least four people who later became members of his executive.
Maimane has written to National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise asking that his urgent question be added to Thursday’s order paper.
Reports emerged over the weekend that Mbalula, Ntshavheni, Kodwa, and Siweya were given a combined R7 million from the CR17 campaign.
Maimane said this raises a question as to whether Ramaphosa acted impartially and rationally when he appointed them to his executive.
“The President needs to use his first oral question session for the 6th Parliament to clarify to the people of South Africa and unequivocally state whether these individuals’ payment for work on his campaign is related – in any way whatsoever – to his decision to appointment them as ministers,” Mainane said.
