LISTEN: I’ve never discussed content of report with Zondo, says Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has strongly denied ever discussing the content of the state capture report with Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Ramaphosa received the long-awaited and nearly 2000-page report from the commission’s chairperson at the Union Buildings on Wednesday.
The president was asked about a discussion he had with Zondo on Monday, shortly before it was announced that the release of the report would be delayed.
"The chief justice had wanted to communicate to me about the time of handing over the report,” Ramaphosa said.
“We had at an earlier stage discussed that it would be good to have this type of occasion when the report would be handed over, as it was done the first time. When he realised that he was not going to make that appointment, he felt the need to communicate with me.
“I think one has to take both of us at our word in that we have dealt with each other with a great deal of integrity, not for once ever wanting to discuss the substance of the work that the chief justice was doing. Not for once even to discuss the evidence that I presented to the commission.”
Ramaphosa also made it clear that he has not been privy to the contents of the report.
"I don't know what's inside this latest report. I am going to start reading it tonight and I'll go through it very, very carefully on my flight to Cape Town.”
The full report will be presented to Parliament within four months together with a plan on how to implement its recommendations.
“This report provides us with the opportunity to make a decisive break with the era of state capture," said Ramaphosa.
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