Cyril Ramaphosa urges Jacob Zuma to provide proof of his allegations

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has broken his silence about allegations that some judges were bribed to seal the CR17 documents related to his 2017 ANC presidential campaign made by his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, last week.

Jacob Zuma made an array of allegations against the Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who is heading the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, and North Gauteng Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba, who ordered the sealing of the CR17 documents in August 2019.

In his allegations, Zuma said: “We sit with some judges who have assisted the incumbent president (Ramaphosa) to hide from society what, on the face of it, seem to be bribes obtained in order to win an internal ANC election. We sit with some judges who sealed those records simply because such records may reveal that some of them, while presiding in our courts, have had their hands filled with the proverbial 30 pieces of silver.”

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In his weekly presidential column, Cyril Ramaphosa did not address Zuma by name. He wrote:

“We should therefore be concerned when those who occupy prominent positions in society make statements that demonstrate a disdain for the basic principles of our Constitution and the institutions established to defend our democracy. Anyone who has evidence of any wrongdoing by any judge should make use of the avenues provided in our Constitution and in our law to ensure that appropriate action is taken,”