By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Seven opposition parties agreed on a process to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa to account over a burglary at his game farm.
The DA, EFF, IFP, ATM, UDM, ACDP and NFP held a meeting on Wednesday where they agreed that the concealment of the president’s responses to the public protector is unacceptable and must be challenged.
“All the opposition parties expressed misgivings and discontent with the manner in which the speaker of parliament has thus far handled the demands of political parties to hold the president accountable,” the group said in a statement.
Former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid criminal charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and assault against Ramaphosa in February, alleging that foreign currency worth $4m (about R68.3m) was stolen from the president’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.
Fraser, who is also a former head of the country’s correctional services department, also alleged a potential cover-up that involved the presidential protection unit head Maj-Gen Wally Rhoode.
Fraser accused the president of having unlawfully instructed Rhoode to investigate the theft.
Ramaphosa has refused to answer any questions about the incident, including those posed to him by lawmakers.
They agreed that parliament should hold Ramaphosa accountable and that the public protector should publicly disclose the responses of the president. The said the acting public protector should urgently release the report on the Phala Phala investigations.
Parliament must be physically convened to deal with all parliamentary issues and opposition parties will request a follow-up meeting with the speaker to discuss all accountability issues, including the usage of a secret ballot for motions of no confidence.
The opposition group will hold a follow-up meeting on Wednesday next week to finalise a common approach on the establishment of a section 89 committee, parliamentary ad hoc committee and a motion of no confidence in the president.
Meanwhile National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has missed the deadline she gave herself for a decision on whether to set up a committee to probe allegations against Ramaphosa.
She said she would decide by August.
But on Wednesday, her office announced that due to unexplained delays, she would need more time to consider whether the motion to establish a Section 89 inquiry was successful or not.