By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee (NEC) has abandoned its special sitting meant to discuss the fate of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The NEC, which is the party’s highest decision-making body, was due to meet in Nasrec to discuss the recently released Section 89 panel report.
The report found that Ramaphosa may have violated his oath of office by failing to report that a large sum of cash was stolen from his Phala Phala game farm.
Treasurer general Paul Mashatile told the media that the NEC adjourned after it decided that the report should first be processed by the top officials – Ramaphosa, Deputy President David Mabuza, ANC chair Gwede Mantashe and Mashatile himself.
They must consult Ramaphosa and report to the NWC, before reporting back to the NEC before Tuesday’s meeting of Parliament, which will need to decide whether to adopt the Section 89 report or not.
Mashatile said the president had yet to discuss the matter with any structures of the ANC since the report was published on Wednesday.
He said Ramaphosa was still consulting, but he didn’t know with who.
Meanwhile ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe says if Ramaphosa were to resign, it would be “chaotic” for the country and the ruling party.
Mantashe said the report has “a lot of loopholes” and can be challenged. “If it were me, I would have kicked dust about it,” he added. But unlike him, Ramaphosa would probably take a more “gentle” approach, Mantashe said.
“I think we must give him space to do that.”
He also pointed out the use of the phrasing ” may have” which indicates the findings against the president are still to be tested.
“No one says the president has committed a crime… it says he ‘may have which opens a way for a parliamentary process,” said Mantashe.
He emphasised that space should be created for the report to be “processed properly” and to allow Parliament to handle the matter as it should.
Mantashe said that Ramaphosa should do “anything that can be done” before taking a decision to resign – this includes taking the report on review.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary general Bheki Mtolo says, “the ANC will not allow the [Phala Phala] matter to drag on until the 2024 national elections.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa must do the right thing and not let this matter drag on for too long.”The ANC can’t afford to wait until this report is fought in court, Parliament and other platforms,” said Mtolo.
He said the provincial executive in KwaZulu-Natal had not officially convened, but he alluded to the fact that Ramaphosa should step down.
Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba says the country is facing a crisis and the governing party appears to be in meltdown.
Makgoba was reacting to the controversy around Ramaphosa who is under immense pressure following the release of the report by an independent panel, which made damning findings against him in relation to the theft of $580 000 (R10 million) from his game farm, Phala Phala, in Limpopo.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe has called on businessman James Motlatsi to withdraw his remarks that President Cyril Ramaphosa can’t be told by criminals to leave.
According to Mabe, Motlatsi told Radio 702 on Friday that Ramaphosa can’t be told by criminals to leave.
“While the ANC holds no right or authority to dictate personal relations, it is insensitive and rather disappointing that someone of his stature can make such reckless insinuations at a time when the movement and the country are faced with a dilemma emanating from the parliamentary Section89 report on the Phala Phala saga,” Mabe said.
GOOD party has insisted that the president “should not contemplate, nor be bullied” into resigning.
“The independent panel did not find Ramaphosa guilty of anything. Rather, the panel, conducting a preliminary assessment, and on its own version, made its recommendations with limited facts at its disposal.
It recommended that the president had a prima facie case to answer. Ramaphosa must have the opportunity to present his case, first in the parliamentary impeachment process and then potentially in court,” GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron said in a statement on Friday.
Herron said the party was of the view that the country’s political leadership and economic direction should not be “dictated by opportunism, skullduggery, unproven allegations and Stalingrad legal defence strategies”.
Senior expert at Geopolitical Intelligence Services, Dr Ralph Mathekga, said the president could no longer evade responsibility over the Phala Phala saga by arguing that investigations into the matter are still underway.
Mathekga said it would be more dignified for Ramaphosa to resign than for him to be forced out – either by Parliament or the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC).
Professor at the Wits School of Governance, Susan Booysen, said the standards and levels of accountability in Ramaphosa’s position are high.
Booysen said the report exposed glaring gaps in his evidence and further parliamentary processes would embarrass the president further.
“To resign for Ramaphosa would mean he retains much dignity.”
Ramaphosa was expected to address the nation on Thursday to announce his resignation having met with his advisors and allies in Cape Town, but this did not go ahead.