By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will appear before the governing African National Congress party’s integrity commission over a robbery at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.
The ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe on Monday evening confirmed that Ramaphosa told the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting that he would present himself to the commission.
“The NWC welcomed and commended the decision by the president to voluntarily present himself [to the] ANC integrity commission in line with ANC policy,” Mabe said.
This will be Ramaphosa’s second appearance at the commission headed by the party’s elders in the past two years.
He first appeared before the commission in November 2020 over the controversy related to his CR17 campaign and the public protector’s investigation into whether he misled parliament about donations from Bosasa to the campaign.
Ramaphosa faces accusations of covering up a robbery at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo where it is reported that foreign currency estimated to be about $4m (about R61.7m) was stolen.
Former state security boss Arthur Fraser last week laid a criminal charge against Ramaphosa for breaching the Prevention of Organised Crime Act by not reporting the robbery when it took place in 2020.
Supporters of Ramaphosa rallied to his support in a meeting of the ANC’s national working committee on Monday.
Top party insiders said the meeting agreed to get a full report on the incident before the party pronounces on it.
The matter was introduced by long-time Ramaphosa rival Tony Yengeni who argued that the president should step aside.
In a heated meeting, Yengeni called for Ramaphosa to be subjected to the party’s integrity commission. Ramaphosa later indicated he had already made contact with the commission.
Ramaphosa was defended by ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe, who had an intense back-and-forth with Lindiwe Sisulu as she questioned why they did not bring the report to the meeting.
Sisulu kept questioning where was the report, which was expected to make recommendations on what should happen to Ramaphosa, was, but Mantashe cut her off, saying there was no report.