Picture File: Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. Picture: @TreasuryRSA/Twitter
Former spy boss Arthur Fraser’s criminal complaint against President Cyril Ramaphosa is part of an attempt to block Ramaphosa from securing a second term at the ANC’s national elective conference in December this year.
That’s according to Finance Minister and ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Enoch Godongwana.
In an interview with Sunday Times, Godongwana defended the president after Fraser, earlier this month, laid the complaint with police against Ramaphosa of money laundering, kidnapping and corruption.
“The charge [case opened by Fraser] is intended for him [Ramaphoosa] to step aside so that he’s unavailable for conference.
“This is done by people who want to win conference,” Godongwana was quoted as saying.
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Fraser alleged that Ramaphosa was involved in an elaborate cover-up of the alleged theft of $4 million (about R63 million) in cash at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo two years ago.
He claimed that criminals, allegedly working in cahoots with Ramaphosa’s domestic worker, broke into the property and cash, and were later allegedly bribed after they were kidnapped.
Ramaphosa has denied any criminality on his part and maintains the crime was reported to police.
Godongwana also said calls for Ramaphosa to step aside, while law enforcement authorities investigated the matter, were premature because Ramaphosa had not been formally charged.
“The policy of the ANC is that only a person who is charged steps aide. The president has not been charged.
“We can’t have a rule for the president and a different rule for others.”
Meanwhile, Sunday Times also reported that Ramaphosa recently came under scrutiny from his ANC comrades over the “farmgate scandal” at last week’s national working committee (NWC) meeting and Thursday night’s special NEC.
ANC insiders who spoke to the paper claimed NWC member Tony Yengeni was the first person to raise the Phala Phala scandal during its meeting last Monday.
Yengeni apparently called for Ramaphosa to step down while investigations continued.
Former Cabinet ministers Ngoako Ramatlhodi and Zweli Mkhize reportedly wanted the matter to be discussed at the special NEC meeting, but this was dismissed because it was not on the agenda.
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