Africa-Press – South-Africa. National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has declined a request to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate allegations surrounding the theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.
According to a statement issued by Parliament, DA leader John Steenhuisen requested that the committee be established in terms of the National Assembly Rule 253(1)(b), which allows for the establishment of such a committee “during the adjournment of the assembly for a period of more than 14 days, by the Speaker after consulting the Chief Whip and the most senior whip of each of the other parties”.
However, Mapisa-Nqakula declined the request, seemingly because some of the investigation tasks are currently being undertaken by other authorities, including law enforcement.
Steenhuisen wants Parliament to reconvene to deal with load shedding, fuel price, Phala Phala saga
She argued that rule 253 sets out requirements for establishing an ad hoc committee, one of which is the performance of a specific task.
“While the request proposes a committee on Phala Phala, it goes on to list various distinct tasks for investigation,” the statement read.
The Speaker said the various components raised by Steenhuisen for parliamentary intervention were better suited for attention by the existing parliamentary oversight structures.
News24 previously reported that on 1 June, former State Security Agency boss 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 Phala Phala in February 2020.
According to the affidavit Fraser gave police, Ramaphosa had kept 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.
Ramaphosa confirmed the burglary but said the amount was less than $4 million.
Ramaphosa Phala Phala farm had no VIP protection at time of cash theft
Meanwhile, the Speaker also declined African Transformation Movement’s (ATM) motion submitted in accordance with National Assembly Rule 129A to seek the removal of the president in terms of section 89 of the Constitution.
According to the statement, Mapisa-Nqakula wrote to ATM MP Vuyo Zungula, explaining that from reading his submission, she could not determine which of the listed grounds in section 89(1) he was relying on. “In terms of rule 129A (1) (a)(i) to (iii), the motion must be limited to a clearly formulated and substantiated charge on the grounds specified in Section 89 of the Constitution.”
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