- Cyril Ramaphosa says the Zondo Commission is a "cathartic moment for the ANC".
- Ramaphosa is appearing in his capacity as the president of the ANC.
- Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said the ANC should "confront painful issues".
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who chairs the State Capture Inquiry, says the ANC can't make a meaningful impact to change corruption if it doesn't "confront painful issues".
Zondo's remark came during the testimony of ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday.
"The ANC has a very important role to play in where the country is going. If one looks at the types of issues the commission is investigating, one can see that, whatever it is that the ANC may say we did, it simply didn't work," Zondo told Ramaphosa.
"That's why corruption has reached the levels it has reached. That is why we hear the kind of evidence that the commission has been hearing. So, to the extent that the ANC wishes to be part or to even play an important role, because it must, I think, in changing the situation in the country on these matters. It can't do so, it seems to me, by looking at those things that are comfortable for it to change."
Zondo said the ANC can't make a meaningful contribution to change the issue of corruption "unless it confronts issues that are painful to confront and to say to change things we have to do certain things that we are not comfortable to do".
In response, Ramaphosa said the party had gone through a period of introspection.
"In part, the reason we then decided that we are seriously going to advocate for the establishment of this commission, while there was doubt and while there was even talk that this commission could tear the ANC apart, we were brave enough, courageous enough to say: this is a necessary process that we must go through as part of our own renewal process," he said.
Ramaphosa added: