Ramaphosa vows action on Madlanga Commission findings

President assures transparency on commission's findings and actions

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA AND ZELDA VENTER

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday said no one implicated in wrongdoing by the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry will be shielded.

"I can give an assurance that no one who is either implicated or will be implicated will be shielded, and when the commission does its recommendations, we will act accordingly on those recommendations," Ramaphosa said.

He was responding to a followup question during the question-and-answer session in the National Assembly from MK Party MP Des van Rooyen, who enquired whether his decision not to make public the commission's interim report was intended to protect politically connected individuals.

Van Rooyen said South Africans will naturally worry that powerful individuals like his relative, Hangwani Maumela, may be shielded from scrutiny.

In his response, Ramaphosa said he has already gone public to describe the relationship between himself and Maumela.

"I do not wish to get into that, because continuous peddling of that information, which is actually misinformation, is completely incorrect."

However, he said the government will make sure that when the final report is issued, the South African public will be able to see what the commission said and what action is to be embarked upon.

"So, no one, no big name or small name or whoever, however they are connected, will be shielded. We can assure you of that," said Ramaphosa.

Responding to the main question by ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli on his reasons to withhold the interim Madlanga Commission report from the public, Ramaphosa said the commission has made recommendations with respect to matters where there was the existence of prima facie evidence of wrongdoing.