Africa-Press – South-Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s die-hard supporters in the ANC have come out in his defence, insisting that he has not been found guilty of any crime.
While Ramaphosa’s exit from office appeared imminent, those closest to him in the ANC top echelons were expected to couch his exit as a move in the best interest of the country, and not an admission of guilt.
Sibongile Besani, who heads up the ANC presidency, said the independent panel’s report, which was preliminary, could still be reviewed.
Besani added that the matter still needed more probing.
“The report can be taken further by other government processes to excavate the real facts,” said Besani.
He added that the findings could not be taken at face value as the report itself alludes to many challenges it faced in doing its work.
“It [the panel] talks about many limitations it had in terms of the information they had at their disposal. They even considered that they did not have enough information and that is a serious limitation,” said Besani.
In its report, the independent panel conceded that “we are concerned that we have not been given all the information that is presently available on the Phala Phala issue”.
“We know that the SARB [SA Reserve Bank] has been investigating the matter since around June 2022, yet we have not been furnished with the outcome of the investigation.”
According to the report, some of the information submitted was “vague and leaves revealing gaps at crucial points”, while the panel was also alive to the fact that the information before it dealt with events that occurred two-and-a-half years ago.
“Memories may have faded over the years, a factor complicated by the fallibility of memory,” read the report.
As such, Besani said: “We think the president has not been found guilty.”
He, however, indicated that Ramaphosa would “abide by the rule of law,” and should be required to present himself through further processes “he would still respect this”.
Besani also pointed out that despite the belief that Ramaphosa had not been found guilty, an ethical issue needed his consideration.
He confirmed that the ANC’s national executive committee would meet on Thursday to discuss the report.
“The president is currently going through the report and getting advice and counsel. So, I think, based on that he will indicate his stance, but he will also wait on the ANC processes, for the NEC guidance and so on,” said Besani.
His utterances come as the opposition parties and Ramaphosa’s rivals within the ANC have called for him to vacate his office.
Internally, ANC president hopefuls Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Lindiwe Sisulu have stated that due to the gravitas of the findings, Ramaphosa should step aside and focus on clearing his name.
At the same time, DA leader John Steenhuisen will table a motion in the National Assembly for a vote on the dissolution of the government.
Such an option requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote of the National Assembly to vote for the dissolution of government, which would then trigger an early election.
“I will table this motion in the National Assembly, and I will call on all members of the House, regardless of party or affiliation, to support it so that we can urgently close this chapter and get back to dealing with SA’s many challenges,” said Steenhuisen.
He said this was motivated by the report by parliament’s independent panel, which was “clear and unambiguous that President Ramaphosa most likely did breach several constitutional provisions and had a case to answer”.
“Once again, a sitting president stands accused of breaching the Constitution. Once again, a sitting president is facing an internal political revolt. Once again, the ANC and its dysfunctional politics are plunging South Africa into crisis,” he said.
Steenhuisen said the better option would be for a national election to take place and not for the ANC to recall Ramaphosa or the governing party’s over 4 000 delegates at its conference to decide who leads on behalf of the country’s majority.
Steenhuisen said:
The IFP said the “prima facie evidence is compelling”, and added that it would call for the adoption of the Phala Phala report as well as the establishment of an impeachment committee.
The Defend Our Democracy campaign said the independent panel’s report findings were an “important step in ensuring democratic accountability for a person in high office”.
The campaign lauded the report’s outcomes saying the processes to further probe Ramaphosa in relation to the Phala Phala matter would set a crucial precedent for the country’s democracy.
“The process that unfolds in Parliament thereafter – irrespective of its outcomes – sets an important precedent for our fledgling democracy. These processes are significant in terms of strengthening democracy and democratic processes and foregrounds issues of transparency and accountability of the president.
“As the matter unfolds over the next few days – in Parliament, within the governing party and the political terrain, and in the court of public opinion – Defend our Democracy reiterates the need for political stability, clean governance, and sober-minded decision making and leadership, that always puts the interests of the country first,” the organisation said in a statement on Thursday.
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