M.C.

Ramaphosa
Johannesburg
22 December 2020
Cde George Mashamba
Chairperson
Integrity Committee: ANC

Dear Cde Mashamba

My appearance before the Integrity Commission

1. I write about a serious concern I have regarding the IC’s report on the interaction
between myself and the IC in that:

1.1. The report misrepresents the process leading up to my engagement with the IC;

1.2. The report seemingly displays a lack of interest in the submission I sought to

present to the IC as set out in the document I had prepared.

2. I wish to acknowledge that the IC first invited me to appear before it in 2018. Upon
receipt of that correspondence, I had an engagement with the Chairperson of the IC
when I requested that my appearance before the IC be postponed as there were a
number of legal cases underway regarding the CR 17 campaign issue. I had made this
proposal because I believed that it would be better that the legal processes be dealt with
first to enable the IC to have a better grasp of the issues at play having had an
opportunity to examine all sides of the matter.

The Chairperson of the IC agreed to this arrangement. I am therefore surprised that the
Chairperson’s report asserts that it is with “great disappointment to the IC when the
President explained to the Chairperson of the commission that since this was a legal
matter, he did not feel it was right to discuss the CR 17 campaign funds until the legal
matter was finalised.” This sentiment was certainly not expressed to me by the
Chairperson at the time.

3. My intention in making the proposal was by no means aimed at avoiding my appearance

before the IC. In fact, the opposite is true. It is unfortunate that the IC’s report seems to
create an impression that I sought to avoid appearance before the IC. What concerns me
is the impression that is created which would appear like I was delinquent in the manner
in which I dealt with the matter of my appearance before the IC.

4. I have always respected the IC and have always held the IC and members of the IC in the
highest regard. This sentiment is clearly articulated in my written submission to the IC

5. Following my engagement with the Chairperson about my appearance before the IC

there was no further engagement between the IC and myself until 2020. I am therefore
 surprised that the Chairperson argues that “the IC pursued the matter of meeting with
the President and requested over an 18-month period to meet with the President
several times both verbally and in writing.” This is certainly not the case as I am not
aware of any correspondence between IC and the President other than the initial letter
in 2018 and a subsequent letter in 2020.

6. I wish to respectfully state that after the finalisation of the various court cases regarding
the CR 17 Campaign I am the one who approached the Chairperson telephonically and in
writing offering to appear before the IC. I addressed a letter to the Chairperson on 10
September 2020 wherein I offered to appear before the IC and stated

“I write pursuant to the telephonic conversation I had with you regarding the above
matter when I informed you that, following the letter you addressed to me about
appearing before the IC in connection with the CR17 campaign, I am now ready to
appear before the IC. I confirm having advised during the telephonic conversation that
I believed it was time for me to appear before the IC (as requested by the IC) as the
various processes regarding the CR17 campaign have largely been dealt with in
various public foras thus enabling me to give a cogent account to the IC about this
matter.”

(I attach the said letter hereto for easy reference.)

7. In addition, after the request by the Commission that I provide the document referred to
at the meeting we held with the IC, I had indicated to the Chairperson that this
document had been compiled on the understanding that the CR17 campaign would be
the subject of our meeting. I therefore engaged with the Chairperson to seek clarity
regarding the submission of a document that contained information the Commission has
made clear they did not want to hear. While I fully appreciate my delay in finalising this
document, it was in large part due to my continuous busy schedule and the need to
restructure it to address the Commission's views as expressed at our meeting.

8. I had prepared my submission to the IC with a view of addressing the issues the IC had
raised with me in 2018 regarding the CR17 Campaign in terms of how it functioned. IC’s
decision not to entertain the substance of my submission was disappointing however I
accepted the decision the IC had made.

9. Lastly, I am saddened by the characterisation of my request to have a member of the

ANC in good standing assist me in my engagements with the IC as anything other than
an honest request to have administrative support of my own in these engagements.

I hope the Commission will take the above and my submissions, sent to its secretary today, into
account and reconsider its report.

Yours Comradely