Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that buying votes is a “new disease” gripping the ANC.

“It is concerning to a point where it is going to dilute democracy within our organisation‚” Ramaphosa said on Thursday night on the Karima Brown Show on Radio 702.

“We’ve been hearing stories that people are being approached with loads of money and some of it ranges from like R50‚000 per delegate‚ R100‚000 per delegate and some people are even saying some people are being bought cars and all that.”

Ramaphosa is a candidate to become the next ANC president. The ANC’s 54th national conference starts on December 16 in Johannesburg.

He believes money should not sway “loyal” ANC members.

“Patronage has also become a factor in all this.”

Ramaphosa believes uniting the ruling party will stop factionalism and possible corruption.

“Personal interests and side interests and‚ now that we know‚ state capture has been very much a key ingredient in all this.”

He believes South Africa can fight state capture‚ because we now know where and how deep “the rot” is.

“The first thing is to realise that things are really bad.”

Ramaphosa wants to destroy corruption.

“People that have done wrong must go to jail. There is no question about that.”

Ramaphosa labelled the current crisis at Steinhoff as “catastrophic”.

Shares in Steinhoff International lost more than half their value on Wednesday after the household goods retailer said accounting irregularities will be investigated and CEO Markus Jooste resigned with immediate effect.

Ramaphosa said such scandals destroyed trust and confidence in the private sector.

“Those who are found to have done wrong should be dealt with‚ must be prosecuted. Whatever money has been lost should be found‚ because in the end it is workers’ monies‚ pensioners’ monies that are invested in these companies and we cannot have that in South Africa.”

Ramaphosa believes the ANC is “not up for sale”.

“We must know that business will always want to advance its own interests‚ but the ANC must refuse to be subjected to the interests of business that makes it deviate from its own policies‚ because the ANC’s policies are there to advance our people as a whole.”

Ramaphosa believes the ANC must emerge a “united force” after the national conference by rallying the elected leaders.

Ramaphosa did not elaborate on his future in the ANC‚ should he not be elected as the new party president.

“I will have to reflect on whether I should be deployed elsewhere or deployed in the same position again‚ so it is going to be a matter on which I will want to reflect.”

Ramaphosa said President Jacob Zuma violating the constitution was a “serious lesson” to the ANC.

Ramaphosa said: “We will make sure that we never fall foul of our constitution ever again.”

[Source: Times Live]