By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African Natinal Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) is having an emergency meeting in Nasrec, South of Johannesburg on Friday.
The party’s highest decision-making body is set to discuss matters relating to the recently released Section 89 report on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.
In two weeks, the ANC’s NEC will be disbanded in order to elect a new one at the party’s national conference next month.
However, before its disbandment, the NEC must make a decision on whether it will recall Ramaphosa or not.
ANC National Spokesperson Pule Mabe said any speculation on the NEC’s decision is premature.
He says once deliberations have concluded, it will announce its decision.
“We are going to have a press conference to clarify, we know that there are matters that are out there in public, and we know that all of you want to ask about this. Our humble request is to allow the NEC to process these issues.”
On Thursday, Ramaphosa told a group of his long-time friends and his closest allies in the Cabinet – during a series of consultations – that he had decided to resign because he did not want to be blamed for the ANC’s ill performance in the 2024 elections.
An insider said that Ramaphosa was resolute that while he disagreed with the Section 89 panel report, resigning was the right thing to do.
Ramaphosa was convinced by ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, who reminded him that he was deployed by the ANC and needed to consult the party first.
The panel found that Ramaphosa may have violated the Constitution and anti-corruption laws related to his Phala Phala business dealings.
Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, meanwhile said Ramaphosa is still engaging stakeholders with regards to the way forward following findings by an Independent Section 89 panel that the President may have violated his oath of office.
The panel was formed to look into the circumstances around a robbery at the President’s Phala Phala game farm and found that President Ramaphosa may have seriously violated sections 96(2)(a) of the Constitution and Section 34(1) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities (PRECCA) Act – allegations the President said he “categorically denies”.
At a media briefing last night, Magwenya said the President is cognisant of the urgency of addressing the nation in this regard.
“The President appreciates the urgency of this matter. The President appreciates the enormity of this issue… what it means for the country, the stability of government and as a result of that, he is still processing the report.
“But in that exercise, he’s also engaging a number of role players and stakeholders across the governing party, different levels of the governing party, different levels of the alliance and he’s engaging a broad range of stakeholders, and this is in appreciation of the enormity of the matter,” Magwenya said.
He assured that Ramaphosa would address the nation in due course.
“We are in an unprecedented and extraordinary moment as a constitutional democracy as a result of the report and therefore, whatever [decision] the President makes, that decision has to be informed by the best interest of the country and that decision cannot be rushed and cannot be taken in haste.
“An announcement is imminent because the President will need to indicate to the country the course of action he will take going forward,” the spokesperson said.