Africa-Press – South-Africa. After a term in which opposition parties criticised the ANC caucus for its failure to uphold the Constitution – which they swore to do when they became MPs – a senior ANC MP likened the opposition to fascists and accused the media of not reporting on the party’s “tremendous success” in Parliament.
Ahead of Parliament’s fourth term for the year getting underway after a brief recess, the chairperson of the ANC caucus, Seiso Mohai, penned a missive with regard to the third term, which was released to the media at the weekend.
In the letter, he criticised the opposition and the media.
The term saw the ANC circle the wagons around President Cyril Ramaphosa, as opposition parties turned up the heat over the allegations around the break-in at his Limpopo game farm, Phala Phala.
In August, after Ramaphosa refused to answer a question on Phala Phala, the ANC alleged that he did, indeed, answer the question.
In September, the ANC nixed a DA motion to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate Phala Phala, using a discredited notion that other agencies must first investigate before it comes to Parliament.
This is the same excuse the ANC used not to appoint an ad hoc committee into state capture, and Chief Justice Raymond Zondo rubbished this reasoning in his report.
“Leaving it exclusively to other agencies to investigate and, if necessary, to take action regarding these allegations, at this time, was not in the commission’s view consistent with Parliament’s constitutional responsibilities,” the Zondo report read.
The third term also saw the EFF disrupting plenaries, with some of their members physically removed from the chambers.
This is what led Mohai to the history books, comparing Julius Malema’s red overalls to Adolf Hitler’s Brownshirts and Benito Mussolini’s Blackshirts, even though he never mentioned the EFF by name when he wrote about fascism.
“When historians write about Parliament’s third term of 2022, they will most likely remark about the attempt by minority opposition political parties, with less than a third of seats in the National Assembly, to dominate the house through coercion and bullying. The events of this term have a historical ring to them (sic),” wrote Mohai.
He added:
He complained that by disrupting National Assembly sittings to “force the president to account on a matter still under investigation by other state agencies, opposition parties have taken a leaf out of Mussolini and Hitler’s playbook”.
“They use the most vulgar language, threats and actual violence to drown out the voices of the elected representatives of the majority party and abuse opposition party leaders who disagree with them.
“When the Speaker calls upon the Parliamentary Protection Services to restore order, the same politicians project themselves as victims of unfair rulings by the Speaker.”
Mohai said the ANC caucus and presiding officers in Parliament are “often projected as lackeys of the Executive by the media”.
“The reality, however, is different. In the seven weeks of the third term, Parliament had a week-long capacity-building course for MPs. It hosted successful question and answer sessions for the president, deputy president, and all the ministers in the NA and NCOP, adopting many committee reports and legislation. The NCOP held a successful local government week, which discussed solutions to the multiple challenges facing our municipalities.
“In the NA, we dealt with pressing matters, like fuel prices and the criminal vandalisation of public infrastructure. We passed consequential legislation, including the Children’s Amendment Bill, Traditional Courts Bill and the Expropriation Bill.
He added:
Mohai said only a few of the successes of Parliament’s third term grabbed the national headlines.
“They did not trend on social media either. Well, I guess the results of our hard work in Parliament are not as interesting as the story about the Phala Phala game farm.
“But, as the ANC caucus, we are proud that we have steered Parliament to remain focused on things that matter to the overwhelming majority of South Africans. We can only hope that patriotic journalists will start reporting the progress we are making to transform South Africa, at least in equal measure to the trivial stories.”
Mohai didn’t provide examples of the “progress” the ANC is making to “transform” South Africa.
Phala Phala became a burning issue in June after the former director-general at the State Security Agency and former commissioner of correctional services, Arthur Fraser, opened a kidnapping and money laundering case against Ramaphosa, Presidential Protection Unit head, Major-General Wally Rhoode, and Crime Intelligence members for allegedly concealing a burglary at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
According to Fraser’s affidavit, Ramaphosa had at least $4 million in cash stashed in a couch at his game farm – and then played a part in a cover-up following an allegedly illegal investigation into the matter.
The ATM brought a motion in terms of Section 89 of the Constitution, also called an impeachment motion.
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula appointed an independent panel, chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, which also includes Judge Thokozile Masipa and advocate Mahlape Sello SC.
The panel must investigate whether there is a prima facie case for Ramaphosa to answer about Phala Phala.
The National Assembly will then consider their recommendation – but, with its majority, the ANC could block an impeachment inquiry.
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