In a statement, the ANC NEC revealed that its participation in the State Capture Inquiry will be led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Placed in its correct context, it could mean that Ramaphosa will make a cameo at the Johannesburg Old Chambers before the inquiry concludes its work.
ANC NEC outcomes: ‘Zuma must cooperate with State Capture Inquiry’
The NEC was locked in a two-day meeting that took place over the weekend, mulling over the contents of the president’s State of the Nation Address (SONA 2021).
The committee made assertions about the Covid-19 pandemic, gender-based violence and other pertinent issues facing South Africa. However, all the interest was in the NEC’s comments on corruption and in particular, the saga playing out at the State Capture Inquiry.
Following former president Jacob Zuma’s no-show, the ruling party’s highest decision-making body urged its members to allow deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo to complete his work “without fear or favour.”.
“The NEC affirmed the fight against crime and corruption as the third priority and reaffirmed its support as per its Conference and NEC resolutions for the Commission of Enquiry into State capture, chaired by Judge Zondo, again urges all its members and leaders to cooperate with the Commission in the national interest, and to allow the Commission to complete its work fairly and present its findings, without fear or favour,” the NEC wrote.
Concerning Zuma’s outright defiance, the committee only stated that it “supports the engagements by officials with former president Jacob Zuma.”
Will Ramaphosa appear before the Zondo commission?
His successor, it seems, is well on his way to the hot seat. In its statement, the NEC noted that “the president will lead the ANC presentation to the Commission.”
“[We] urge officials and the NWC (National Working Committee) to prepare for this so that the firm position of the ANC against corruption and state capture, and its impact on the people and country, is made unequivocal,” the statement read.
Thus far, no official confirmation of the president’s appearance at the Zondo commission has been made. If anything, though, Ramaphosa has, on numerous occasions, stated that if needed, he would make himself available to questioning at the inquiry.