By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the ANC’s national executive committee that the criminal charges he faces in relation to the Phala Phala scandal would not stand against him.
In his political overview at the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting, Ramaphosa, for the first time, discussed the accusations he faces. The president insisted that the money stolen from his farm was $580 000, not the $4 million alleged initially.
He said the money was from a legitimate transaction with businessman Hazim Mustafa who paid in cash for animals, sources at the meeting said.
Ramaphosa said it was not his fault that the person who was meant to open a criminal case after money was stolen from the Phala Phala farm failed to do so.
The commission meanwhile rejected “in the strongest terms the possibility that it has released either to the national executive commission through the secretary-general’s office or to the public any report on Phala Phala”.
Through a media statement, commission chairperson George Mashamba said, “whatever report that is circulating is baseless and has no authority or stamp of approval from the integrity commission”.
He added only the integrity commission chairperson and deputy chairperson were authorised and entrusted with the full responsibility to engage the media and release any media statements on the work of the commission.
“We view the latest media reports as nothing but an attempt to put the integrity commission in disarray, undermine its credibility and legitimacy and ultimately the value of its recommendations,” Mashamba said.
This after a report was released on Friday saying Ramaphosa had met and refused to divulge any information regarding the Phala Phala saga.
The draft report noted the integrity committee found the Phala Phala incident and events around it brought the ANC into disrepute.
The report, however, did not go as far as recommending a sanction against Ramaphosa.
Former ANC presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma were not at the party’s ongoing national executive committee (NEC) meeting at Nasrec conference centre in the south of Johannesburg.
The pair, have been critical of Ramaphosa regarding the alleged theft of millions in foreign currency from his Limpopo farm.
They recently argued that Ramaphosa owed the ANC a detailed explanation about the Phala Phala saga. Gwede Mantashe, the ANC chair, has publicly called on them to attend the meeting to voice their dissatisfaction.
The two instead have decided to give the meeting a miss.
On Saturday, the ANC integrity commission (IC) is expected to finally present a report into the scandal that has heightened tensions in the already divided party.