Durban – President Cyril Ramaphosa was on Saturday told to show that he is serious about rooting out corruption by prosecuting all allegedly corrupt politicians and government officials.
The message came from residents of Folweni township in the south of Durban where Ramaphosa was conducting a door to door blitz, garnering votes for the ANC ahead of the November 1 local government elections.
As Ramaphosa who was accompanied by KZN ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala, moved around the township and enjoyed an all-around warm reception, he met an outspoken youth group that told him to man up and prosecute the suspected people.
The direct message to jail the suspected people came from Sanele Ngubane, a youthful resident who was enjoying drinks with friends at a local tavern.
At first, they joked with Ramaphosa and Zikalala, asking them to buy them a case of alcohol before they could vote for the ANC.
Everybody in the crowd laughed at the obvious joke.
Things changed when the seemingly clued up group debated current affairs issues with Ramaphosa and Zikalala.
Ngubane and his friends said while they are fully behind the ANC, corruption was becoming endemic and Ramaphosa must urgently act and stem the tide.
Among those, they said he must arrest is the former minister of health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, officials of Enock Mgijima Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape and Eastern Cape Premier and provincial ANC chairperson, Oscar Mabuyane.
“People should be arrested. A sports ground (the Komani stadium) for R15 million? The issue of R1.1m corruption in the event of Mama (Winnie Madikizela Mandela) and Khabazela (Dr Zweli Mkhize), Ayikhale (take action).
“Work on those matters,” Ngubane said with the full approval of his friends.
Mkhize is currently entangled in the R150m Digital Vibes scandal where his family is alleged to have benefited.
Enoch Mgijima municipality officials are under pressure over a controversial stadium built costing R15m in the town of Komani (Queenstown).
Mabuyane was recently found by the Public Protector, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane to have benefited R450 000 out of the R1.1m which was to be used by the Mbizana local municipality in the Eastern Cape to celebrate the life of the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
That happened in April 2018 and Mabuyane has already said he would take the report for a judicial review as his material input was allegedly ignored by Mkhwebane.
Mkhize has also previously said he will challenge the SIU report on Digital Vibes in court as the investigation that prompted it was not properly carried out.
Ngubane later told Independent Media on the sidelines of the campaign that there should be no holy cows in the fight against corruption “and even big figures like Zweli Mkhize and (Oscar) Mabuyane should be arrested.”
Political Bureau