Ramaphosa will not provide explanations for every single CR17 payment — spokesperson

President Cyril Ramaphosa's CR17 campaign remains the centre of conversation, following reports alleging that some MPs received payments.

On Sunday, it was reported that minister of transport Fikile Mbalula, deputy minister of state security Zizi Kodwa and EFF MP Tebogo Mokwele all allegedly received payments from the president's 2017 campaign.

EFF's 'confession' 

Confirming the claims, EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said Mokwele received R40,000 from the campaign account.

He said she confessed to receiving the money, which she said was assistance for a “personal financial problem". 

“She has since confessed to the EFF leadership and indicated that the money related to a personal problem [bereavement] she had, which President Ramaphosa was assisting with," he said.

According to Ndlozi, the confession was further proof that Ramaphosa was directly involved in the finances of the campaign.

Day-to-day knowledge

Ramaphosa's spokesperson Khusela Diko said on eNCA the payment allegations do not prove that Ramaphosa had day-to-day knowledge of the account's transactions.

She said she wasn't sure what conspiracy the EFF was trying to manufacture with its statement.

In Diko's opinion, if the EFF's account of what happened was true, at least it proved Ramaphosa “to be a compassionate and caring person".

Diko said Ramaphosa would not provide explanations for every single payment to the campaign, which managed to raise almost R1 billion.

Following the news, Mbalula took to Twitter and rubbished the claims, saying the payment he received had “nothing to do with CR17 campaign".

'I never received any money for CR17 campaign'

Kodwa did not deny receiving the money but disputed claims that it was linked to the campaign.

He told Sowetan that he received the money in January.

“CR17 campaign was in 2017 and I never received any money for CR17 campaign. The payment you [are] probably talking about was this year, 2019. The payment had nothing to do with CR17."

The payment was made when he was still the head of presidency in the ANC, before his appointment to Ramaphosa's cabinet.

Kodwa, however, did not say what the payment was for.