News24.com | TV anchor Freek Robinson shocked at President Cyril Ramaphosa's withdrawal of national order

Freek Robinson. Photo: Papi Morake

• President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to honour several South Africans with national orders on Friday. 
• Thirty-five people were nominated but three people have since been removed from the list.
• TV presenter Freek Robinson said he was not told why his nomination was withdrawn.

Television presenter Freek Robinson says President Cyril Ramaphosa's office has not told him why his nomination for a national order was withdrawn days before the ceremony at the Union Buildings. 

National orders are prestigious awards Ramaphosa gives to South Africans who have shown integrity in their careers. The president bestows the orders annually after nominations from a panel.

This year's nominations of 35 people have been marred by controversy because the Presidency has had to remove three people from the list. 

On Sunday, the Presidency announced that Robinson's nomination had been withdrawn after objections were received.

Other objections included endurance sport and adventurer, Mike Horn, and TV producer, Duma Ndlovu.

There was an outcry from the ANC Veterans League over Ndlovu's nomination due to state capture allegations made against him.

READ | National orders for Duma Ndlovu, Mike Horn and Freek Robinson withdrawn

The Presidency has yet to reveal why Horn and Robinson were removed from the list of recipients.

Non-profit organisation Open Secrets said it filed a Promotion of Access to Information application on 24 April to find out who had nominated Horn and Ndlovu.

It said Horn had yet "to come clean about the nature of his collaboration in the apartheid machinery".

Ndlovu played a pivotal role in possibly enabling state capture under Jacob Zuma's Presidency while he helped notorious consultancy firm Bain & Company. The NGO said more was needed but welcomed the Presidency's withdrawal of the nominations.

News24 has learnt that "serious allegations" surfaced against Horn and Robinson.

Then protocol within the Presidency is that should objections to national order nominations be raised, their names should be withdrawn until their names are cleared.

Horn did not respond to requests for comment.

Robinson said he was surprised to receive a letter from the Presidency which stated that his nomination would no longer be considered. 

"I was never informed; no reason was given," Robinson told News24. 

The former newsreader said he tried to reach out to Ramaphosa's office to find out their reasoning, but is yet to be told why.

He said:

Robinson said the Presidency would have to shoulder the blame for the dramatic nature of the withdrawal.

"It causes the Office of the Presidency great reputational damage; they underestimate the backlash from the ordinary people because I have received so many messages from so many people criticising the president and how this has been handled," Robinson added.

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News24 reported on Monday that Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said nominations can be withdrawn or deferred.

"The Presidency will not discuss any specifics relating to the withdrawals," said Magwenya. 

Ramaphosa is expected to host a ceremony on the national orders on Friday.