By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says Phala Phala scandal that has engulfed President Cyril Ramaphosa would not be discussed at the extended ANC conference in Mangaung in the Free State.
Phala Phala matter had dominated internal party discussions ahead of the conference in December.
The conference was preceded by the Section 89 independent panel’s report that found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer in connection with the 2020 February robbery at his Limpopo farm.
The president, who filed a Constitutional Court application challenging the report, survived a parliamentary vote on the adoption of the report. If the report had been adopted, impeachment proceedings would have been instituted against him.
The ANC integrity commission report was expected to be presented at the national conference, but this did not happen.
Mbalula said the report, or anything related to Phala Phala, would not be up for discussion by delegates. He said the ANC national executive committee would deal with the matter.
“There will be no Phala Phala issue on the discussion at the ANC conference; there will be two issues on the table … to finalise, reports from the commissions and constitutional amendments.
“The issue of the Phala Phala report was referred to the NEC. The committee will deal with the Phala Phala issue if it arises,” Mbalula said.
Meanwhile acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka says that progress has been made in the investigation into Phala Phala farm robbery and more needs to be done to finalise the matter.
Gcaleka was speaking after her office released investigation reports for the third quarter of 2022.
She said her team has gone far in its probe.
“The office has gone quite far. The matter has progressed. At this stage, the team is in the process of drafting, not the final report; it is the report to which we are either saying the matter is unsubstantiated and in that instance, we will issue a discretionary notice. Where the complaint is substantiated, we’d issue what we call a Section 79 wherein we would ask the respondent to respond.”