180213. Women's Gaol at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg. Dr Mamphela Ramphele officially launched a new political party called Agang which means "build" in SeTswana. 797 Picture: Dumisani Sibeko 180213. Women's Gaol at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg. Dr Mamphela Ramphele officially launched a new political party called Agang which means "build" in SeTswana. 797 Picture: Dumisani Sibeko
Agang party leader, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, has criticised those focusing on what she says she is worth instead of focusing on the fact that she revealed her net worth in the name of transparency.
At a meeting with Delft residents in The Hague area on Sunday, Ramphele said people should not follow politicians who do not disclose their net worth to the public.
“Don’t vote for anyone who doesn’t say what they own.”
Last week when she disclosed details of her finances, Ramphele said she had shares worth R1.38 million in Anglo American, Gold Fields, Sibanye Gold and the PTI Select Managers Fund.
Her primary residence in Camps Bay was valued at R10m.
A total of R1 146 139 was in her retirement annuity and R1 574 064 in a provident fund.
Her family trust held R30m and her investment trust R10.9m, she said at the time.
On Monday, she reiterated that President Jacob Zuma should also disclose his net worth.
“We have a president who doesn’t know how much he owns, maybe a palace?”
Ramphele said that corruption needed to be rooted out. “Government has lost its way. We are sick and tired of corrupt police.”
The Daily News’s sister paper, Weekend Argus reported that Ramphele said her wealth was 10 times less than Forbes magazine’s estimate of R500m.
Her net worth is a much lower R55m, she said last week.
In 2011, Forbes listed Ramphele among Africa’s nine richest women.
Forbes Africa editor, Chris Bishop, told Independent Newspapers that the magazine stood by its story, adding that the US team that had put together the 2011 list was about 100-strong and had included many highly trained economists.