The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
“This campaign will greatly contribute towards restoring investor confidence.”
The Guptas are a migrant Indian business family who formed allegedly improper ties to Zuma. They are accused of receiving hugely favourable government deals and even influencing cabinet appointments.
Police on Thursday said an arrest warrant had been issued for one of the brothers, Ajay Gupta.
The COSATU trade union federation, an ANC ally, called on Ramaphosa to slim the executive and crack down on government excess.
“Bling lifestyles of the political elite at the expense of the tax payer must be stopped,” it said.
The South African Communist Party (SACP), another ANC partner, said Ramaphosa must prioritise “dismantling of parasitic networks surrounding our state and decisively bringing an end to corporate capture of the state.”
– Stocks, currency strengthen –
The transition to Ramaphosa saw benchmark South African stocks scoring their biggest gains since June 2016 while the local rand currency reached its strongest level against the US dollar in three years.
In recent years, the radical opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has disrupted Zuma’s annual State of the Nation speech with its lawmakers walking out — or protesting and then being physically ejected from the chamber.
“Walking out of parliament is part of the acceptable practices (of democracy),” said firebrand EFF leader Julius Malema ahead of the speech. “If we need to, we will do that.”
The president’s address is accompanied by much pomp and will feature a 21-gun-salute, military band and the traditional analysis of fashion choices as delegates and guests arrive on the red carpet.
Ramaphosa, 65, is a former trade unionist who led talks to end apartheid in the early 1990s and then became a multi-millionaire businessman before returning to politics.
Zuma appointed him as deputy president in 2014.
