READER LETTER | Ramaphosa needs to account to citizens

Parliament is the only platform that the president can account to the people. The people will now have the opportunity to finally hear and see the president account to them. President Cyril Ramaphosa has been running the country like it is a business.

He has been calling family meetings on television like a chairman of a company calls a shareholders’ meeting. This is new to South African politics. Former presidents rarely addressed people through television. Former president Thabo Mbeki only addressed people on television once: when he was recalled and wanted to explain his decision to pursue the arms deal prosecution against Jacob Zuma and clarify the Nicholson judgment that withdrew the prosecution.

Zuma addressed people twice: when he apologised for being mistaken about Thuli Madonsela's remedial action in the Nkandla report and when he resigned. They had only one reason for addressing the people and that was to account.

We now have Ramaphosa who calls meetings to tell us what to do: wear a mask, wash your hands, do not go to this or that place, be home at this time... like a chairman giving orders and yet fails to do one thing that the people have been used to – seeing their president account to them.

Ever since the Phala Phala scandal, he has not called a family meeting, not even about Eskom instead he went to an ANC meeting to account to them and they all voted against his impeachment except Lindiwe Sisulu, who was absent, Nkosazana-Dlamini Zuma and Supra Mahumapelo.

Some may think the president did not do anything wrong but a crime can also be committed when a person does not act positively. There is a duty on a person who knows that the offence of corruption has been committed to report such knowledge to the police according to the Prevention of Crime and Corruption Act.

So, why did the president not report the crime to the police but chose to report it to Gen Wally Rhoode who did not work at the police? Why was the foreign currency not declared to Sars?

Why was the money hidden in the couch? The people deserve an explanation from the president and expect to hear answers on Thursday.

Israel Tshetlhane, email