“As I indicated in a letter to the speaker of the National Assembly on November 16 2018, the payment to which the leader of the opposition referred was made on behalf of Mr Gavin Watson [African Global Operations’ CEO] into a trust account that was used to raise funds for a campaign established to support my candidature for the presidency of the African National Congress.”
Ramaphosa said the donation was sought and obtained without his knowledge. “I was not aware of the existence of the donation at the time that I answered the question in the National Assembly. Since I did not receive any donation from African Global Operations, no declaration was necessary,” he said.
In a separate reply to a question from Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota, Ramaphosa said he was considering the Political Party Funding Bill with urgency.
The proposed law seeks to provide guidelines and new regulations on the funding of political parties. It also includes a ban on donations from foreign sources and a requirement for parties to disclose all donations above a certain threshold.
“The Political Party Funding Bill is one of the bills that I am currently considering. Due to the importance attached to legislation, I have a constitutional obligation of ensuring that, while expediting the process, a bill that has been passed into law is not vulnerable to legal challenge and that it is constitutionally compliant,” said Ramaphosa.
“I can assure the honourable member that I am applying my mind with the urgency and thoroughness the bill demands.”
– BusinessLIVE