Jean-Jacques Cornish

Ramaphosa urges non-racialism after chaos in Parliament.

Parliament descended into chaos as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa answered questions yesterday (Tuesday)

In scenes reminiscent of former President Jacob Zuma’s appearances in the chamber, a bottle was thrown and two members were expelled for trading blows.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was blameless in the melee that saw members call each other racist and corrupt.

Ramaphosa acknowledged in this first reply that his financial advisers son Andile has done business with a corruption linked firm but hey was satisfied the money has honestly earned. 

He assured the house that is his son was guilty of corruption he would personally drive him to jail.

He also assured MPs the national flag carrier South African Airways would not close down, as his Finance Minister Tito Mboweni advocated last week. 

Closing to obligate government to damage the discus by immediately repaying the airline’s hefty debt

Answering a question about the threat posed by ethnic chauvinism and narrow nationalism, Ramaphosa’s reply was particularly germane  to the pandemonium that had ensued in the house beforehand.

He said South Africa characterizes itself as a non racial democracy and that is what it must be.

“There should never be time and an opportunity where we see each other as black, white and so forth and insult one another. There should never be times like that.We are South Africans. This is what defines us. This is a key hallmark of what distinguishes us and separates us from many many other peoples in the world,” he said.

Ramaphosa said South Africans share an obligation to build a united, non racial, non sexist and democratic society.

Enquire about availability for radio, podcasts, reporting or opinion pieces.

Jean-Jacques Cornish is a journalist and broadcaster who has been involved in the media all his adult life.

Starting as a reporter on his hometown newspaper, he moved briefly to then Rhodesia before returning to South Africa to become a parliamentary correspondent with the South African Press Association. He was sent to London as Sapa’s London editor and also served as special correspondent to the United Nations. He joined the then Argus group in London as political correspondent.

Returning to South Africa after 12 years abroad, he was assistant editor on the Pretoria News for a decade before becoming editor of the Star and SA Times for five years.

Since 1999 he’s been an independent journalist writing and broadcasting – mainly about Africa – for Talk Radio 702 and 567 Cape
Talk, Radio France International, PressTV, Radio Live New Zealand, Business Day, Mail & Guardian, the BBC, Agence France Press,
Business in Africa, Leadership, India Today, the South African Institute for International Affairs and the Institute for Security Studies.

He has hosted current affairs talk shows on Talk Radio 702 and 567 Cape Talk. He appears as an African affairs pundit on SABC Africa and CNBC Africa.
He lectured in contemporary studies to journalism students at the Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Pretoria.

He speaks on African affairs to corporate and other audiences.
He has been officially invited as a journalist to more than 30 countries. He was the winner of the 2007 SADC award for radio journalism.

He’s been a member of the EISA team observing elections in Somaliland, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Tunsiai.

In October 2009 he headed a group of 39 African journalists to the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Peoples’ Republic of China.

In January 2010 he joined a rescue and paramedical team to earthquake struck Haiti.

He is immediate past president of the Alliance Francaise of Pretoria.

Jean-Jacques is a director of Giant Media. The company was given access to Nelson Mandela in his retirement years until 2009.
He is co-producer of the hour-long documentary Mandela at 90 that was broadcast on BBC in January 2009.