Ramaphosa: CR17 campaign funds did not buy votes
President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the commission of inquiry into state capture that while he was not involved in the fundraising for his 2017 presidential campaign, he is certain it did not buy votes.
Ramaphosa appeared for a second day at the commission on Thursday.
He was asked about the R500 000 donation from Bosasa to his campaign.
“Up to today I don’t know how the funds were managed but I did meet some of the people who gave money at dinners to explain precisely what we were seeking to achieve and that’s where it ended,” Ramaphosa said.
ALSO READ: Supra Mahumapelo laughs off ANC calls for renewal, appeals 5-year suspension
“One of my colleagues then approach one of the Watson brothers whom he knew from long ago, to give money on their personal purse. It seems he made that distinction to say the money must not come from the company itself. When the story was made public it seemed the money came from Bosasa but I think it came from him or his account.”
He also denied rumours that the campaign managed to raise R1 billion.
“It’s been said that a billion was raised, it was never a billion rand, I was told that the money that was raised was some R300 million but I don’t know the full facts because they literally kept them away from me.
The ANC president said the sealing of the bank statement are related to the fact that some campaign donors want to remain anonymous.
“The money that was also donated by a number of people and many people gave money on the understanding they don’t want it to be publicised that they donated money for a political campaign. They wanted their own identity to be kept out of the media and it was on that type of condition that the campaign managers agreed to keep their information private.”
He said this has always been the practice when it comes to political funding.
“There is a legend that goes around that the money was used to buy votes, this is far from the truth. I said to my comrades right at the beginning that I never want to be part of a campaign that will descend into all these deviant behaviours such as vote buying, I even said I’d rather lose the race.”
He added that there was nothing sinister about the campaign and he was kept from the fundraising so that there was no expectations from the donors that they would donate for something in return.
Ramaphosa will back at the commission in his capacity as state president at the end of May.
