Indeed, South Africans had begun to doubt the repeated promises Ramaphosa has made since 2017 to tackle corruption, given that so few high-ranking ANC officials accused of wrongdoing have faced trial or even been charged. But the level of public outrage over allegations that numerous ANC officials were involved in Covid-19-related tender fraud appears to have galvanised the 88-member NEC to back Ramaphosa. ‘Watershed moment’In response, Ramaphosa committed to appearing before the integrity commission, which suggests he is confident he has done nothing wrong. However, he warned that if party officials accused of corruption are not charged soon, any renewed public faith in the president could be short-lived. “If ANC leaders accused of corruption are not charged before next year’s local elections, his promises will likely backfire on him at the polling booths,” he said.

Source: The Irish Times September 06, 2020 14:15 UTC