'I answered honestly' on Bosasa: Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has remained adamant that there was no corruption between him and controversial government contractor Bosasa, saying he was not made aware of who donated towards his presidential campaign.
Speaking to Radio 702’s Xolani Gwala on Thursday, the president said people were trying to “peddle that there is corruption”.
His statements come after it was revealed that Bosasa, which has received multi-million rand tenders from government, made a donation of R500,000 to Ramaphosa’s presidential campaign last year. In November, answering a question from DA leader Mmusi Maimane in the National Assembly, Ramaphosa said his son, Andile, received money from the company for consultancy work.
“Earlier information had come forward which my son shared with me about an affidavit drafted. I asked him, 'Do you do business with this company?' He said yes. For me that was the beginning and the end of it… When Maimane raised it, I gave an answer. I said he has a contract with this company,” Ramaphosa said in his interview.
“As it turned out, the contract also referred to a donation that had been given. As it turns out, the amount was paid to an attorney’s trust and that attorney’s trust was being used by the campaign team. I had no knowledge whatsoever of that trust and the amount that went in there. I answered the question honestly.”
Ramaphosa said there was no truth in claims of a corrupt relationship between him and Bosasa.
“It was not paid to me; it was not paid to my trust or to my family trust. People are trying to peddle that there is corruption. There is no truth in all that.
"They [his presidential campaign team] have decided that they are going to do an examination of the entire list of people who donated. They are yet to give me the report. In my own heart of hearts ... there has been no corruption on my part,” Ramaphosa said.
“As soon as I realised what the real truth was, I wrote to parliament and said I gave incorrect information. That is not the behaviour of a liar.”