South African President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed there was “nothing sinister” about the funding for his 2017 political campaign to become president of the ruling party, the African National Congress.
Ramaphosa was testifying for a second day before the judicial inquiry investigating allegations of corruption in government and state-owned companies during the tenure of his predecessor, former president Jacob Zuma.
Describing how his campaign funds were raised, Ramaphosa said his managers did not tell him who donated money, so as to reduce the possibility they would influence his decisions.
It is the first time Ramaphosa has been publicly questioned about the funding for his campaign, which was reported to have raised close to one billion rand (approximately $69 million) from wealthy individuals and businesses.
Ramaphosa disputed allegations that the money was used to buy votes.
The funding for his campaign is currently the subject of a court case in which some opposition parties and the country’s public watchdog are seeking to have the bank statement related to the campaign
