Archbishop Thabo Makgoba has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to be honest about Phala Phala. – Photo by Jeffrey Abrahams/ Gallo Images
By Staff Reporter
In a powerful Easter sermon at St George’s Cathedral, the esteemed Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, implored President Cyril Ramaphosa to give clear and candid answers on the burglary at his Phala Phala game farm.
Makgoba’s words echoed with a resounding call for transparency and honesty, urging the president to lead by example and uphold the values of integrity and accountability.
In his unreserved commentary, he expressed his belief that Ramaphosa and the ANC have yet to make a compelling case to the people of South Africa that they are truly committed to tackling corruption head-on.
The archbishop stressed the importance of being truthful to the South African public about the events that occurred at the game farm. He urged the ANC to stop protecting Ramaphosa and instead, compel
him to take responsibility for his actions.
“The trickle of disconnected announcements on investigations arising from the theft of money from the President’s Phala Phala farm still haven’t explained satisfactorily why such large amounts of money weren’t banked and the ANC’s refusal to allow a parliamentary inquiry is reminiscent of the cover-ups of the Zuma administration.
“If we are to build the nation we want, one based on transparency and honesty, the president needs to give us a single comprehensive account of what happened and why it happened.”
Makgoba expressed concerns about coalition governments.
Makgoba also emphasised the urgent need for political leaders in South Africa to adopt a proactive stance to address the rampant corruption that plagues the country, and to prioritise providing essential services to communities.
He additionally asserted that the present upheavals in coalition governments are evidence that politicians have neglected the welfare of citizens.
He criticised the frequent rotation of mayors and speakers, comparing it to the constant use of revolving doors and the casual act of changing socks.
“We are experiencing a near-biblical vortex of greed and corruption in which the unscrupulous steal from the poor and swallow the hope of ending inequality. Incompetence leads to bad governance, and money that is available to improve people’s lives goes unspent.
“Do our politicians offer any hope? You would think that if they were truly focused on the well-being of their constituents, they could overcome their differences enough to collaborate in coalition governments, to put an end to corruption, and provide decent services to our communities.
“But, instead, they play in-again-out-again revolving doors, changing mayors and speakers the way other people change their socks.”