Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Maropene Ramokgopa has been implicated in allegations that luxury Chinese SUVs, supposedly donated to the ANC Women’s League, were instead diverted to members of her inner circle, including family.
The claims follow similar scrutiny of Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe, who has also been accused in connection with the same batch of vehicles.
According to reporting by Daily Maverick journalist Rebecca Davis, five BAIC X55 luxury Chinese SUVs — each valued at roughly R500,000 — were allegedly provided by Chinese representatives in late 2023. The vehicles were understood to be donations intended for the use of the ANC Women’s League, where Tolashe serves as president and Ramokgopa as national co-ordinator at the time. Instead, they were reportedly handed over to the two ministers to take possession on behalf of the league.
In Tolashe’s case, the vehicles were traced and registered in the names of her two children. For Ramokgopa, investigations found that in January 2024, one yellow BAIC X55 was registered in the name of her son. A second vehicle was said to be in use by her elderly mother in Limpopo, while a third was reportedly used by associates linked to Luvo Makasi, a figure with a history of appearing in various political controversies, including past allegations involving other ministers.
Residents in a small rural township (Sada) in the Eastern Cape, where Makasi’s family church (the Bantu Zion Christian Congregation) is located, reportedly confirmed familiarity with a red BAIC X55 4×4 often driven by Makasi and his mother. Ramokgopa was photographed with a delegation visiting the church over Easter, indicating some level of association.
Ramokgopa, aged 46, is widely regarded as one of the ANC’s rising stars and a trusted ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa. She has been viewed as energetic, promising, and free of any prior scandal, making her alleged involvement particularly surprising to many observers, Davis noted.
Ramokgopa’s spokesperson stated that “the minister has never received any cars from Chinese officials.” When presented with vehicle registration details linking one SUV to her son, the spokesperson repeated the same denial verbatim. No further comment was provided. The Chinese embassy has also declined to comment on the matter despite repeated requests.
The ANC has indicated it will address the allegations through its internal processes. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula previously stated that Tolashe would appear before the party’s Integrity Commission following the initial reports. Sources suggest the party was aware of Ramokgopa’s situation as well. Davis observed that the claims suggest the ministers may have effectively diverted resources intended for the organisation itself, which is unlikely to be viewed favourably by ANC leadership or its members.
Neither minister has been charged, and the allegations remain under investigation and public scrutiny. Ramokgopa has not declared any such vehicles in her parliamentary register of members’ interests for the relevant years.
The developments have renewed questions about transparency regarding foreign donations and the use of vehicles intended for party structures rather than personal or family benefit.