Zuma camp heading to court against Ramaphosa

Pro-former President Jacob Zuma ANC activists in Gauteng have instructed lawyers to approach the Gauteng High Court to force the ANC to release financial documents for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2017 party presidential campaign. ‘The lawyers are busy preparing as we only instructed them through a letter on Friday. They are still putting the papers together, and yes it will be done,’ said ANC veteran Carl Niehaus, who speaks for the group known as Radical Economic Transformation, notes a report in The Star. He said they have also written to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, asking him to give them access to financial documents, bank statements and e-mails that were exchanged by CR17 campaigners prior and during the 54th national conference that was held in Nasrec, outside Johannesburg. They also want the ANC to institute an internal inquiry into allegations that Ramaphosa won through buying delegates to sway their votes. He said the group had given Magashule – seen in much of the media as being in the Zuma camp – 14 days to respond. Political analyst Imraan Buccus said: ‘The irony is that many of those who are advancing this belong to the grouping that has been historically looting the public purse. Now that they have fallen out of political favour and are losing political support and relevance, they are trying hard to get a trump card.’

Full report in The Star (subscription needed)