Post by @Lolita721611021
83% credible (90% factual, 67% presentation). The leaked audio from a 2021 ANC NEC meeting where President Cyril Ramaphosa discusses public funds is authentic, corroborated by contemporary media reports. However, the post's temporal framing presents this as new information and omits key findings from subsequent investigations by the Public Protector and Scopa, which cleared Ramaphosa of direct ethics violations.
Analysis Summary
The post shares a screenshot of a 2021 leaked audio recording from an ANC NEC meeting where President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly says he would 'fall on his sword' rather than reveal how public funds were used for party campaigns. This recording is authentic and aligns with historical reports of the incident, though subsequent investigations cleared Ramaphosa of direct ethics violations. The content revives an old scandal to criticize current leadership amid ongoing political tensions in South Africa.
Original Content
The Facts
The core claim about the leaked audio's existence and content is accurate based on 2021 media reports from sources like Daily News and News24, but the post omits context from probes by the Public Protector and Scopa that found no evidence of Ramaphosa's personal wrongdoing or direct knowledge of fund misuse. Partially accurate with selective framing.
Benefit of the Doubt
The author advances an anti-ANC and anti-Ramaphosa agenda, portraying the president as complicit in corruption to fuel narratives of government betrayal and align with pro-MAGA, pro-Russia sentiments critical of South African leadership. Key omissions include the full context of Ramaphosa's statements (based on public reports, not insider info) and clearances from 2022 investigations, which downplay personal culpability and emphasize party-wide issues. This selective presentation shapes perception as a fresh scandal, exaggerating implications to erode trust without balanced counter-evidence.
Visual Content Analysis
Images included in the original content
VISUAL DESCRIPTION
A screenshot of a TikTok video player on a mobile device, displaying a waveform audio visualization in orange and white bars, a play button, and progress bar at 0:00 of 2:20 total duration. Overlaid text describes a leaked ANC NEC meeting audio involving President Ramaphosa admitting willingness to take blame for public funds misuse; includes 'Daily News' branding and TikTok elements.
TEXT IN IMAGE
ND Cyril Ramaphosa Daily News An exclusive ANC NEC meeting leaked by Daily News Ramaphosa has put President In the leaked recording the President is heard saying he's prepared to fall on his sword instead of SA knowing how public funds were used. TikTok Daily News fall say II on Ramaphosa saying leaked recording SA public funds were used. 5:45 10:49 II 0:00/2:20
MANIPULATION
No signs of editing, deepfakes, or artifacts; appears to be a genuine screenshot of a social media video player with consistent UI elements from TikTok.
TEMPORAL ACCURACY
The audio leak originates from a 2021 ANC NEC meeting, as reported in contemporary news; the post revives it in 2025, but no temporal clues in the image suggest recency beyond the platform interface.
LOCATION ACCURACY
The content is an audio recording from an ANC meeting in South Africa, but the image is a digital screenshot without specific geographical markers; claim focuses on national politics, not a physical location.
FACT-CHECK
The image accurately depicts a real 2021 leaked audio clip reported by Daily News and verified in multiple outlets (e.g., News24, IOL); it matches descriptions of Ramaphosa's statements, though full context shows he referenced public information, not personal involvement.
How Is This Framed?
Biases, omissions, and misleading presentation techniques detected
Presents a 2021 leaked audio as if it is new or breaking information, creating false sense of immediacy for an old event.
Problematic phrases:
"Leaked recording where Cyril Ramaphosa is heard saying"What's actually there:
Historical 2021 incident with clearances in 2022
What's implied:
Fresh scandal relevant to current politics
Impact: Leads readers to perceive ongoing corruption as newly exposed, heightening urgency and eroding trust without historical context.
Omits key context from 2021-2022 investigations by Public Protector and Scopa that cleared Ramaphosa of personal wrongdoing, focusing only on the incriminating quote.
Problematic phrases:
"prepared to fall on his sword instead of South Africa knowing how public funds were used"What's actually there:
No evidence of Ramaphosa's direct knowledge or ethics violations found
What's implied:
Ramaphosa personally hiding corruption
Impact: Alters interpretation from party-wide issues to personal betrayal, fueling anti-government sentiment without balanced view.
Fails to mention subsequent clearances and emphasizes only the scandalous audio, selectively framing to downplay exoneration.
Problematic phrases:
"how public funds were used"What's actually there:
Investigations found no personal culpability
What's implied:
Unresolved corruption cover-up
Impact: Readers infer persistent guilt, ignoring evidence that mitigates the claim and promotes one-sided distrust.
Uses dramatic language about 'falling on his sword' to imply immediate threat to transparency, despite the event being resolved years ago.
Problematic phrases:
"prepared to fall on his sword"What's actually there:
Resolved party funding issue from 2021
What's implied:
Current crisis in public fund usage
Impact: Creates false emotional urgency, prompting reactive outrage over a non-urgent historical matter.
Sources & References
External sources consulted for this analysis
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/breaking-cyril-ramaphosa-anc-cr17-leaked-audio/
https://www.africaninsider.com/politics/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosa-owes-govt-citizens-an-explanation/
https://www.voaafrica.com/a/safrica-ramaphosa-leak/6415507.html
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/breaking-cyril-ramaphosa-public-protector-leaked-recording/
https://briefly.co.za/politics/120521-scopa-hears-ramaphosas-explanation-about-leaked-audio-recording-denies-ancs-misuse-public-funds/
https://www.africaninsider.com/news/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosas-response-to-scopa-on-alleged-state-funds-abuse/
https://www.polity.org.za/article/scopa-wants-cyril-ramaphosa-to-explain-leaked-audio-says-it-has-far-reaching-implications-2022-01-26
https://www.news24.com/News24/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosa-responds-to-scopa-on-state-funds-abuse-allegations-20220211
https://www.news24.com/southafrica/news/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosa-says-he-has-no-direct-information-on-anc-misuse-of-public-funds-20220214
https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/no-evidence-ramaphosa-contravened-ethics-code-in-leaked-audio-recording-gcaleka-20220930/
https://iol.co.za/dailynews/news/2022-01-31-what-president-cyril-ramaphosa-told-the-anc-nec-on-leaked-audio-clip/
https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/ramaphosa-leaked-audio-anc-parliamentary-caucus-attempts-to-muzzle-mp-pushing-for-scopa-probe-20220119
https://news24.com/southafrica/news/public-protector-mkhwebane-confirms-investigation-into-ramaphosa-over-leaked-audio-20220127
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-02-14-ramaphosa-tells-parliamentary-watchdog-his-comments-on-state-funds-used-for-anc-campaigning-were-based-on-information-in-public-domain/
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1965508768554500228
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1947723590365024680
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1951284688523526625
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1942959666377396299
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1960689422367633492
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1976714583554527725
https://www.polity.org.za/article/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosa-says-he-has-no-direct-information-on-anc-misuse-of-public-funds-2022-02-14
https://www.ewn.co.za/2024/04/21/ramaphosa-calls-out-anc-nec-members-for-failing-meet-their-commitments-in-leaked-recording
https://www.news24.com/southafrica/news/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosa-says-he-has-no-direct-information-on-anc-misuse-of-public-funds-20220214
https://www.news24.com/News24/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosa-says-he-has-no-direct-information-on-anc-misuse-of-public-funds-20220214
https://www.news24.com/amp/news24/southafrica/news/leaked-audio-anc-mps-block-scopa-from-calling-ramaphosa-20220216
https://briefly.co.za/politics/120521-scopa-hears-ramaphosas-explanation-about-leaked-audio-recording-denies-ancs-misuse-public-funds/
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/ancs-head-of-presidency-denies-claims-ramaphosa-hide-info-from-public-23-december-2021/
https://www.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosa-says-he-has-no-direct-information-on-anc-misuse-of-public-funds-20220214
https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/no-evidence-ramaphosa-contravened-ethics-code-in-leaked-audio-recording-gcaleka-20220930/
https://www.news24.com/News24/leaked-audio-cyril-ramaphosa-responds-to-scopa-on-state-funds-abuse-allegations-20220211
https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2022-01-21-ramaphosa-may-still-be-summoned-by-scopa-to-explain-use-of-state-funds-for-campaign/
https://ewn.co.za/2022/02/17/anc-mps-use-majority-to-keep-ramaphosa-from-appearing-at-scopa-over-leaked-audio
https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/letters/2024-04-26-reader-letter-are-taxpayers-funding-anc-spin/
https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2022-09-30-the-investigation-is-closed-gcaleka-clears-ramaphosa-on-leaked-audio-clip/
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1965508768554500228
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1948009802732319057
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1957871933757772173
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1951284688523526625
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1960285948807155847
https://x.com/Lolita721611021/status/1942959666377396299
Want to see @Lolita721611021's track record?
View their credibility score and all analyzed statements