In a scathing response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader Kenneth Meshoe voiced his disappointment, labelling Ramaphosa a hypocrite in the ongoing battle against corruption in South Africa.
Meshoe's remarks arrive against the backdrop of the Phala Phala farm scandal, which has continued to cast a long shadow over the President's commitment to ethical governance.
During his reaction to Ramaphosa’s first SONA address after the establishment of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Meshoe, who rejected joining the GNU over Ramaphosa’s tainted image amid the Phala Phala farm scandal, stood his ground, accusing Ramaphosa of being a hypocrite who has no moral standing to preach clean governance.
“This year, the department of Justice and Constitutional Development will report on the review of the Anti-Corruption architecture by the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Unit ...We are making steady progress in the implementation of the State Capture Commission, including signing into law, legislative reforms,” Ramaphosa state.
Meshoe pointed out that Ramaphosa, who is accused of hiding million of US dollars at his Phala Phala farm has no moral authority to pronounce himself as the champion of corruption when he has not answered for his Phala Phala farm scandal, in which more than 4 million USD was stolen from his farm.
“The speech was a mixed bag. I think, he was embarrassed about how he is opposed to corruption. For as long as he has not come clean regarding the 4 million USD that were found in his farm, people will not trust him. I will not trust him. I do not trust him when he says, he will fight corruption. Corruption will continue to be a challenge in South Africa until the President comes clean,” the ACDP leader said.