Johannesburg - ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa is
reviewing his role in business to ensure there are no conflicts of interest
with his new role, he said on Tuesday.
"I want to remove any form of conflictual situation
with my role as deputy president of the ANC," Ramaphosa said in an
interview on CNBC Africa's Political Exchange.
He described his election to the post as "a
life-changing event", but added that avoiding such conflicts should come
naturally to anyone.
Since the ANC's elective conference held in Mangaung last
month, the party would make an effort to work with private enterprise.
"The ANC has consciously decided that it does want to
interact with all institutions in the South African space, that includes
business. I want them to be proactive... business should not be
bystanders."
Ramaphosa, who is chairperson of the Shanduka Group among
other business interests, denied that he represented business in the party's
national executive committee.
Talking about problems facing the mining sector, Ramaphosa
said while wages and living and working conditions had improved since
apartheid, more needed to be done to improve the lives of mineworkers.
"I'm glad to say, employers, unions and various other
entities are alive to that."
Ramaphosa reiterated that he would be willing to testify
about the strike-related violence at Marikana before the Farlam Commission of
Inquiry, should he be called upon to do so.
He denied that an e-mail he sent prior to the deaths of 34
striking Lonmin [JSE:LON] miners at Marikana on August 16, in which he
suggested "concomitant action", was a call for a violent response.
Instead, Ramaphosa said he was concerned, in the wake of 10
strike-related deaths the preceding week, as to how further loss of life could
be avoided.
This was informed by his previous role as general secretary
of the National Union of Mineworkers.
"I could never abandon the impact that workers have had
on me. (I could) never ever face a situation where I would say 'take action
against these workers'.
"I did say I was trying to prevent further loss of
life," Ramaphosa said.
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