Ramaphosa says he's only met Maumela by coincidence, never had any other encounters with him

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he’s only ever met notorious businessman, Hangani Maumela, on his doorstop by pure coincidence and has never had any other encounters with him.

Ramaphosa explained to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday that Maumela’s Sandhurst house just happens to be on one of his regular morning walking routes.

But he also revealed that his first wife, Hope Mudau, is Maumela’s aunt.

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Maumela made headlines last week after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) pounced on his home to seize luxury cars and artwork believed to be the proceeds of ill-gotten gains siphoned from the Tembisa Hospital.

On Tuesday, President Ramaphosa quipped that he planned to write a book about his walking escapades, since stopping and posing for pictures and videos was causing the rumour mill to go into overdrive.

He said that while he was often curious about the construction of the mansion on Oxford Avenue when he passed by, he had no idea who it belonged to until Maumela came out of his house last year and introduced himself to Ramaphosa, who was on one of his regular morning walks.

"And I say: 'So you are the Maumela who’s putting my name into disrepute'. And he smiles away, and now I’ve encountered this person, and I walk away."

Ramaphosa said that some months later, Maumela again came out of the house while he was passing by and asked him to meet his mother, who turned out to be one of Ramaphosa’s high school acquaintances.

"Am I appalled at the allegations that are being made against him? Yes! I am appalled."

Ramaphosa went on to explain that later he learnt his ex-wife’s brother married his school friend and Hangwani is their son.