Ramaphosa denies wrong in raising election campaign funds

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has claimed there was “nothing sinister” about the funding for his 2017 political campaign to become president of the ruling party, the African National Congress

JOHANNESBURG -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has claimed there was “nothing sinister” about the funding for his 2017 political campaign to become president of the ruling party, the African National Congress. Ramaphosa was testifying Thursday, his second day before the judicial inquiry investigating allegations of corruption in government and state-owned companies during the tenure of his predecessor, former president Jacob Zuma. Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is chairman of the commission. Ramaphosa was Zuma's deputy president from 2014 to 2018, when Zuma was forced to step down as a result of wide-ranging allegations of graft. It is charged that while president, Zuma allowed his associates in the Gupta family to influence his appointments of Cabinet ministers and the directors of state-owned corporations in order to win lucrative state contracts.