CAPE TOWN: A public battle has been initiated by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, to oust South Africa's Jacob Zuma calling for an investigation over his business buddies' influence. Ramphosa, 64, said the president's link with the Gupta brothers who run a multibillion-dollar business empire was “the elephant in the room” and of grave concern.
“These practices threaten the integrity of the state, undermine our economic progress and diminish our ability to change the lives of the poor,” Ramaphosa said. A former trade unionist picked by the African National Congress to head its team to negotiate the end of apartheid, he was handpicked by Nelsom Mandela as his successor before the party overruled him and installed Thabo Mbeki. Ramaphosa was recently criticised for failing to speak out against Zuma sooner.
The SA President has been accused of siding with the wealthy Gupta family, allegedly giving their influence over government appointments, contracts, and state-owned businesses and recently angered several ANC leaders by sacking finance minister Pravin Gordhan. Sharing a platform with former deputy finance minister, Mcebisi Jonas, Ramaphosa rejected Zuma's stand on a lack of “crisis” and denounced factionalism, vote buying and patronage.
“Recent political developments have thrown into sharp relief the divisions within our movement and brought to the fore broader grievances about the direction of the country. The problem is money. Money has come between us.”
