Ramaphosa, Malema, Mashatile and Steenhuisen all had to fend off allegations last year.
For some politicians, 2024 was a year marked by arrests and denials of allegations, while others chose to resign from their respective positions.
However, those who resigned said their actions were not an admission of guilt but rather a way to allow law enforcement agencies to complete their investigations.
Other politicians, such as Deputy President Paul Mashatile, finished the year unscathed despite several allegations being thrown at them.
His boss, President Cyril Ramaphosa, also survived the year after his Phala Phala burglary stole the headlines throughout the year.
Here are some of the politicians who either faced or survived allegations. Both groups denied the allegations levelled against them.
President Cyril Ramaphosa
On Sunday, 26 May 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation ahead of the 29 May elections.
The address, which was televised on SABC, ruffled a few political feathers, including those of the EFF and the DA.
ALSO READ: DA hauls Ramaphosa to court for ‘abusing office’ in national address
The DA was so ruffled that it took the matter to the Electoral Court. The party accused the president of violating the Electoral Code of Conduct.
“Ramaphosa’s manipulation was cynical, calculated and designed to influence the outcome of the election by providing the ANC with unearned airtime not made available to any other party contesting the election,” said the party.
Ramaphosa denied this.
“Some political parties have taken issue with the address. It had two components: to talk about the readiness of the elections and the other, to close off on the 6th administration. I was very careful to say all South Africans worked hard to reach this point,” Ramaphosa told the media at the time.
The court ruled there was no evidence that Ramaphosa’s address “influenced a single voter”.
ALSO READ: DA to appeal Electoral Court ruling over Ramaphosa’s address to nation
The DA says it would appeal the ruling.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile
Media reports linked Deputy President Paul Mashatile to controversial businessman Edwin Sodi and accused him of living a “lavish lifestyle” due to alleged corrupt proceeds.
The allegations made their way to parliament, with DA’s Siviwe Gwarube asking Mashatile to come clean about the allegations against him and links to Sodi,.
“There are allegations of corruption hanging over your head. The Hawks are currently investigating you and your son-in-law regarding an almost R30 million home in Constantia and the source of those funds.
“Additionally, there are questions about the use of homes by Edwin Sodi, a state-capture accused individual.
ALSO READ: Mashatile in hot water? Scrutiny over R28.9m Cape Town home he uses
“While these matters are still under investigation and the probes are ongoing… given your commitment, deputy president, to fighting corruption will you take the country into confidence and be brave [by] giving an explanation as to what these allegations are about and the sources of the funds used for them?” Gwarube asked.
Mashatile denied leading a lavish lifestyle and corruption allegations. However, he admitted he was being investigated by Parliament’s Ethics Committee over allegations of corruption levelled against him.
Early in October, Mashatile again denied reports that he was being investigated by law enforcement agencies over the allegations.
ALSO READ: Associates of Paul Mashatile shut out of accounts by major bank
This after reports claimed the Hawks were investigating him for the allegations.
‘Extortionist’ Oscar Mabuyane
As the Eastern Cape reeled from robberies and accompanying murders by extortionists, its premier Oscar Mabuyane was fending off allegations that he was one of the beneficiaries of extortion.
ALSO READ: More than 50% of calls to Eastern Cape extortion hotline were pranks
The allegations were made by AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, who claimed Mabuyane was a beneficiary of the late Chief Dalinzolo Mareke of Mthatha West’s alleged extortion activities in the Eastern Cape.
During a community meeting held in Mthatha on 20 August, Dalindyebo spoke out strongly against the extortionists and named a few politicians he claimed were working with the criminals.
One of those was allegedly Mabuyane.
“Actually, Oscar Mabuyane, I can prove it in any court, is a beneficiary of Mareke’s stupid actions. The beneficiary! If he says I’m accusing him, he must prove me wrong. I’m telling him what he knows,” said Dalindyebo.
The premier denied Dalindyebo’s claims, calling on the king to prove them.
ALSO READ: Mabuyane denies ‘nonsense’ extortionist claims, to take legal action against King Dalindyebo
“I’ve heard what the king said, it is unfortunate that it was said by somebody like that. That’s why I want police to investigate that,” said Mabuyane at the time.
Julius Malema
Following what may have been the biggest political breakup in the country in 2024 when his deputy Floyd Shivambu left for the MK party, EFF leader Julius Malema found himself battling rumours about the cause of the rift.
Shivambu announced his shocking exit from the EFF in August, fuelling speculation about what might have transpired between the two.
ALSO READ: Shivambu’s departure: A blow to Malema and the EFF
A week later, a Sunday Times report claimed the final blow to his partnership with Shivambu was a lack of trust during the GNU negotiations.
The publication reported that Shivambu felt betrayed when Malema allegedly bypassed him and directly approached Ramaphosa to request a deputy president position while Shivambu and other EFF leaders were negotiating with the ANC.
A source told the publication: “What happened is that Floyd felt undermined and disrespected by Julius because, while he was negotiating with the ANC on one side, Julius was busy undercutting him by going directly to the ANC president.
“This is what made Floyd blow his top and say, ‘If, as the head of negotiations, I am agreeing with the ANC that I will be accommodated as deputy finance minister, why are you running parallel negotiations?’”
Malema denied the claims.
ALSO READ: Malema denies going behind Shivambu’s back during GNU negotiations
“I was never in the negotiations for GNU. The secretary-general was there, the treasurer-general was there. Vuyani was there,” said Malema, addressing the EFF’s Gauteng Ground Forces Forum at Orlando Community Hall in Soweto at the time.
It remains unclear what led to the breakup.
John Steenhuisen
One of DA leader John Steenhuisen’s biggest hurdles in 2024 may have been appointing ‘suitable’ candidates in his office.
He had to ask his chief of staff, Roman Cabanac, to step down from his position following a backlash over his social media posts and made four requests for deviations from the Public Service Act to appoint candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements for specific jobs since 3 July 2024.
ALSO READ: Steenhuisen’s chief of staff Cabanac to earn almost R120k a month
Three of the deviations requested by Steenhuisen were turned down for not possessing the minimum qualifications, while one request was rejected for lacking the required years of experience.
But EFF later accused Steenhuisen of lying about appointing unqualified staff, saying they were already in his office.
The party accused Steenhuisen of showing “disregard for transparency, education, and merit”.
“The EFF will be referring the uneducated Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen to Parliament’s Ethics Committee for lying about appointing unqualified staff in his office,” said the red berets.
ALSO READ: DPSA turns down Steenhuisen’s request to appoint unqualified candidates
The DA leader hit back, denying allegations.
“There is no deviation and there are no staff appointed to my office who do not possess the required qualifications,” Steenhuisen told The Citizen.
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