PHOTO: GCIS
At the heart of the CR17 bank statements argument is whether the records should be made available for public scrutiny or whether releasing it would be an invasion of the privacy of President Cyril Ramaphosa and his donors.
The EFF s application to have the statements unsealed was heard in the North Gauteng High Court on Tuesday.
The application was launched after the bank records were sealed by the same court during a review application of Public Protector s report on the matter. There’s more to this story Subscribe to News24 and get access to our
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EFF remains adamant that court was wrong to seal CR17 records
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Johannesburg - The EFF has remained defiant that the North Gauteng High Courtâs Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba was wrong to seal the CR17 funding documents in his chambers.
The EFF through its counsel advocate Ishmael Semenya made the submission to Judge Cassim Sardiwalla on Wednesday while replying to advocate Wim Trengove SC, counsel for CR17 funding committee, Ria Tenda Trust and Linkd Environmental Services.
Trengove told the court that Ledwaba sealed the documents on August 15, 2019.
âIn October 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed that lawyers for several organisations including the public protector must have access to these documents but must exercise confidentiality. The EFF was also given access to these documents which included the reasons for Deputy Judge President to seal the documents.
First published in the Daily Maverick 168 weekly newspaper.
Just when it seemed South Africa would finally get new spectrum licensed for the first time in 15 years at a month-end auction, a legal spanner has brought it to a halt.
As I’ve tried to explain before, the issues are as clear as mud. Telkom, the third-largest operator, complained that the auction rules would favour the two biggest players, Vodacom and MTN, so it sued the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) last year.
Earlier this year, MTN also sued the regulator, concerned that the auction would deny it access to the crucial 3.5GHz range – some of which Telkom already has access to.
The EFF’s counsel, advocate Ishmael Semenya SC, argued in court today the continued sealing of the CR17 documents is ’’inimical to the constitutional principles of transparency and accountability’’.
The EFF believes public interest should outweigh the privacy rights of donors, arguing South Africans have the right to know who funded Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC presidential campaign, the North Gauteng High Court is due to hear today.