R2K protest for investigation into MTN and Ramaphosa corruption allegations.
On Wednesday 14 October, Right2Know Western Cape will protest outside the ANC’s regional office in Cape Town to hand petitions to the African National Congress and Business Leadership SA calling on them to investigate corruption allegations against MTN and Cyril Ramaphosa.
On Friday Amabhungane published evidence that MTN moved billions of rands out of Africa to avoid paying taxes while ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa was chair of the MTN board..
While much of our fight against corruption focuses on the government, the private sector also has a case to answer: Not only do private companies often collude in government graft – transfer pricing and tax evasion are costing the country billions. By some estimates, in 2012 alone SA’s corporations hid over US $29 billion overseas to avoid paying tax. That is over 98 billion rand in unpaid taxes that could have been used to alleviate the suffering of our people.
Business Leadership SA said in a statement on 30 September that a “BLSA committee will be established to consider the actions of any member company that may credibly be alleged to be in conflict with the values set out in the Code of Good Corporate Citizenship”.
In September, the ANC’s NEC meeting has committed to strengthening its internal Integrity Committee and noted that “members of the organisation implicated in wrongdoing are expected to consider the implications of the allegations levelled against them on the reputation and integrity of the ANC”. At this weekend’s ANC General Council the ANC Present said “the ANC needs to work harder to reverse the public perception that it is soft on corruption and that it is a corrupt organisation”.
On Wednesday we will call on Business Leadership SA and the ANC to meet their pronouncements with action. Business Leadership SA must investigate allegations of corruption against MTN. The ANC Integrity Committee must investigate allegations of corruption against their Deputy President, Mt Ramaphosa.
We are calling on all Capetonians to join us in uniting against corruption:
DATE: Wednesday 14 October
TIME: 12h30 onwards
VENUE: ANC’s regional office at Thibault Square, in Cape Town
We wish to make it clear that we are not targeting Mr Ramaphosa, the ANC, or MTN as isolated cases of corruption or to advance any party political or sectarian interests. The allegations against MTN and Mr Ramaphosa are only an example of the corruption that has become pervasive in South Africa today.
