President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted that he was once married to the aunt of Hangwani ‘Morgan’ Maumela, who is accused of being involved in the Tembisa Hospital looting scandal, but insists he has never met Maumela and has no personal or business relationship with him.

Speaking at a media briefing on Monday at the Union Buildings, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa has never met Maumela, despite social media claims linking the two.

Last week, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) raided Maumela’s home as part of an operation to seize assets allegedly linked to the looting of public funds at Tembisa Hospital.

An SIU report found that Maumela led one of three major syndicates that diverted public funds intended for healthcare services through fraudulent tenders, inflated prices, and non-existent deliveries.

Among the items seized were three Lamborghinis, designer furniture, artwork and other luxury goods. 

Assets worth R133.5 million were preserved, with a total of R900 million targeted for recovery.

The SIU investigation revealed that Maumela allegedly used a network of 41 companies to siphon off R820 million from Tembisa Hospital over two years. 

The broader investigation uncovered that three syndicates looted more than R2 billion in total.

Magwenya’s comments followed the circulation of a video on social media purporting to show Ramaphosa outside Maumela’s home shortly after the raid.

“Colleagues will have seen the video doing the rounds on social media, purporting to place the President at Mr Morgan Maumela’s home,” Magwenya said. 

“We would like to address the falsehoods being spread through this video showing the President with well-known radio DJ Tbo Touch outside Maumela’s house.”

According to Magwenya, the video shows Ramaphosa walking alongside Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya, who was at the time a special adviser to the President – DJ Tbo Touch, and Bishop Noel Jones. 

The video was recorded on September 29, 2023.

“The President is someone who loves to walk and had invited Mr Sibiya to join him that day,” Magwenya said. 

“During the walk, they passed a house – now known to be Maumela’s – where they were stopped by Tbo Touch, who got out of his car to greet the President. They took photos and recorded a short video.”

He added that Ramaphosa had no idea whose house it was at the time.

“The street where Maumela’s house is located is one the President often uses when walking or driving to and from his Hyde Park residence,” Magwenya explained. 

“It’s less than a kilometre from his home, so it’s not unusual to see him in that area.”

Magwenya dismissed claims that Ramaphosa visits Maumela’s house weekly, calling them “a complete lie.”

“There are only four categories of people who see the President every week: his family, his security detail, his Union Buildings staff – particularly those assigned to his private office – and ANC officials, whom he meets every Monday,” he said.

He said that Ramaphosa regularly visits only two other homes – his sister’s house in Soweto and the home of his long-time comrade and former mineworkers’ union colleague, James Motlatsi.

“The President maintains that he has no personal relationship with Mr Maumela,” Magwenya said. 

“He is not related to him, except that he was once married to his aunt many years ago.”

Magwenya said there were deliberate attempts spreading false information to link Ramaphosa to Maumela.

He said Tbo Touch confirmed that the video in question was part of his original post. 

“He was coming from the airport with Bishop Noel Jones, heading to the Saxon Hotel. At the time, the house was still under construction,” Magwenya said.

Ramaphosa, he added, had no knowledge of who owned the property.

“It is worth recalling that before becoming Deputy President, Ramaphosa instructed his immediate family to cease any business dealings with the government or state institutions,” Magwenya said. 

“Maumela was not part of that family gathering because he is not part of the President’s immediate family.”

Magwenya also said that it was Ramaphosa himself who signed the proclamation authorising the SIU investigation into corruption at Tembisa Hospital.

“The President calls on all law enforcement agencies to accelerate their investigations into the Tembisa Hospital matter and to ensure that all those involved are arrested – without fear or favour,” he said.

“As everyone knows, SIU proclamations can only be signed by the President. Under President Ramaphosa’s leadership, the sixth and seventh administrations have implemented the most comprehensive anti-corruption reforms since 1994, combining legislative change, institutional renewal, enforcement, and preventive systems.”

Mangwenya added that these measures have laid the foundation for a more transparent and accountable state.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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