Africa: Fake Graphic – South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa Didn’t Say He’ll Protect Members of His Party From Corruption Charges

Fake graphic: South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa didn’t say he’ll protect members of his party from corruption charges

IN SHORT: A graphic quoting South African president Cyril Ramaphosa as promising to protect his ANC party members from prosecution is fake. Neither the presidency nor the ANC published it, and there’s no evidence that Ramaphosa said anything like this.

“Fellow South Africans, no ANC comrade will be sentenced for corruption while I am president,” reads a quote on a graphic circulating on social media.

The quote is attributed to South Africa’s president and leader of the African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa.

The graphic features Ramaphosa’s photo and the ANC logo. It comes just weeks before the country’s local government elections, scheduled for 4 November 2026. (Note: Read Africa Check’s explainer on the elections here.)

Local government elections do not elect a president or ruling party; they decide who runs individual wards and municipalities across the country. But false information like this still has the potential to affect how South Africans vote and undermine the democratic process.

Like other quotes and graphics attributed to politicians and parties in the lead-up to elections, this one is also fake. Here’s how we know.

No evidence for quote

Africa Check found no evidence that Ramaphosa has ever made a statement similar to the quote on the fake graphic. His critics have publicly accused him of not doing enough to prosecute political allies accused of corruption. But the president has repeatedly claimed that his party is committed to fighting corruption within its membership.

At the launch of the ANC’s local government election manifesto, Ramaphosa said the party “has taken action against corruption and patronage within its ranks”, before listing some of the party’s and the national government’s anti-corruption efforts.

He promised that after the ongoing anti-corruption commission of inquiry, known as the Madlanga Commission, concludes, “we are going to clean up so that the corrupt activities that have been embarked upon are brought to an end”.

Ramaphosa’s public statements contradict the quote in the graphic. There is also no evidence that Ramaphosa, the presidency or his party published the image.

The graphic is also signed “Cyril Ramaphosa”, but it does not feature the president’s actual signature, as seen in the presidency’s From the Desk of the President newsletter. The “signature” on the graphic is actually just his name written in a commonly available cursive font.

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