Africa-Press – South-Africa. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the Phala Phala saga won’t be discussed at the conclusion of the party’s national conference this week in Mangaung in the Free State.
The ANC needed to conclude its national conference, first held in December, which adjourned with essential matters for the party left unresolved.
The conference had not finalised decisions on policy resolutions and constitutional amendments.
Mbalula on Tuesday said the hybrid conference would be concluded at Mangaung, with delegates from all nine provinces participating online.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 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 at a briefing at Luthuli House.
The ANC will host its annual 8 January statement in Mangaung after its conference is concluded.
Meanwhile, a letter surfaced earlier this week, revealing that the stadium where the event would be hosted was dilapidated and not equipped to host the event.
In the latter, Mangaung’s city manager warned the ANC to find an alternative venue because the Dr Rantlai Molemela Stadium had no running water, fire safety certificate, or operational lifts, and its toilets were vandalised.
However, Mbalula said all these issues had been resolved.
“Obviously, the ANC cannot go to a stadium that is not safe. All issues raised in the letter have been attended to, all the issues have been addressed,” Mbalula said.
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