By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The independent panel appointed to conduct a preliminary assessment of the African Transformation Movement’s (ATM) Section 89 motion against President Cyril Ramaphosa will hand over its report on Wednesday.
In a statement on Monday, the panel announced it would finally be able to hand over its report on whether Ramaphosa has a case to answer regarding the burglary at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in February 2020.
The Section 89 independent panel headed by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, will hand over its report to Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula on Wednesday at 10am.
The establishment of the panel comes after Mapisa-Nqakula accepted a request by the ATM for a Section 89 inquiry to be established against Ramaphosa.
The move came after former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid a criminal charge against Ramaphosa and former head of the Presidential Protection Unit, Wally Rhoode, for allegedly kidnapping and torturing five men and a woman to reveal where they had hidden millions in foreign currency stolen from the president’s farm.
The country’s main opposition will be among those eagerly awaiting Ramaphosa’s response on a number of issues raised before and after the theft at the farm.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa has a case to answer on Phala Phala even if the Section 89 independent panel finds there’s no prima facie evidence.
Should the panel recommend no further action against Ramaphosa, added Steenhuisen, the party will push for the establishment of an ad hoc committee to probe the matter further.
Steenhuisen and the party’s parliamentary leadership were on Monday briefing the media on the party’s Parliament review for 2022.
It will end an almost two-month-long process that saw the panel go through evidence to see whether the president committed an impeachable offence related to the burglary at his Phala Phala farm.
Steenhuisen said if the president is cleared by the panel, this won’t change the party’s position on an ad hoc committee.
“To pursue debts in your private business capacity I think is a clear conflict of interest. I think the president’s definitely got a case to answer there.”
Steenhuisen added that an ad hoc committee will cover more ground than a Section 89 panel.
“A Section 89 panel is far narrower than an ad hoc committee’s job. An ad hoc committee can inquire into the full range of issues there. All the Section 89 inquiry is tasked with doing is seeing whether there’s a prima facie case of a process of impeachment.”
This could ultimately lead to Ramaphosa’s impeachment if that committee also recommends his removal.
A two-thirds majority will be required during the impeachment vote in the House.