Mbeki has been openly critical of the ANC's handling of the Phala Phala matter since 2022.
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
Former President Thabo Mbeki insists the Phala Phala farm saga is President Cyril Ramaphosa’s private business and not the ANC’s.”
Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) sent the Section 89 panel’s report on the Phala Phala scandal back to parliament, paving the way for an impeachment process against President Ramaphosa to proceed.
Impeachment
The EFF and the African Transformation Movement (ATM) turned to the apex court after parliament declined to adopt the Section 89 independent panel’s report, which could have triggered an impeachment inquiry against the president.
The panel concluded that there was prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa should answer questions about the theft of approximately $580 000 (about R9.6 million) from his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in February 2020.
Ramaphosa has decided to revive a judicial review of the Section 89 Independent Panel Report, drawing sharp condemnation from the EFF, which accuses him of exploiting legal mechanisms to evade accountability.
Private matter
Mbeki said the Constitutional Court was correct to rule on the Phala Phala matter.
“President Ramaphosa was correct, this is a private matter between a businessman who’s a farmer and whoever comes and buys and sells from him on his farms.
“It’s a private matter. It’s not an ANC matter. He’s not trading as an ANC businessman, it’s his own matter, and he’s taken a decision, and I support him. He says the law allows me to challenge this thing. I said, ‘Please go ahead, it’s perfectly okay,'” Mbeki said.
Sudanese businessman
The businessman Mbeki was referring to was Sudanese businessman and owner of Sudanese football club Al Merrikh SC, Hazim Mustafa, who paid $580 000 (R8 million) in cash to buy 20 buffalo from Ramaphosa.
At the time, Mustafa said he was in Limpopo celebrating Christmas and his wife’s birthday, but did not know who the buffalo or the farm belonged to.
Court has decided
Mbeki said the “court has decided” the Phala Phala matter.
“I had written to the leader of government business, after they took a wrong decision, in my view, in parliament, when they decided not to allow the process from that panel, which was led by Chief Justice Ngcobo, to allow the process to go to this committee, I’d written the leader of government business to say that that decision was wrong, and explained to him why it was wrong.
“They used the ANC majority to do a wrong thing. What the Constitutional Court has done is agreed with what I said two years ago, and I think the Constitutional Court is correct. I think the speaker acted correctly to say, okay, Parliamentarians, let’s constitute this committee, and this committee must do its work,” Mbeki said.
Criticising ANC
Mbeki has been openly critical of the ANC’s handling of the matter since 2022.
In early 2023, he wrote to ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile, questioning the party’s decision to use its parliamentary majority to block the adoption of the Section 89 panel report into Ramaphosa.
ANC tensions
Earlier this month, the ANC refuted reports of tensions at its special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting over comments allegedly made about Mbeki and the Phala Phala saga.
Reports emerged that tensions flared during the meeting after deputy international relations minister Thandi Moraka allegedly criticised Mbeki for publicly weighing in on the Phala Phala saga.
ANC members who attended the closed-door meeting in Cape Town said Moraka accused Mbeki of posturing as a “super leader” whose views were treated as “alpha and omega” within sections of the ANC.
Moraka, regarded within ANC circles as closely aligned with Ramaphosa, raised concerns about senior veterans publicly commenting on sensitive internal matters rather than engaging directly with party structures.
Ramaphosa a businessman
Mbeki said Ramaphosa is a businessman.
“He has said himself, ‘I’m a businessman, I breed cattle, I breed wildlife, I sell, I buy.’ That’s fine, that’s his business. That’s his business as a businessman. It’s got nothing, zero to do with the ANC. I don’t know why the ANC gets preoccupied with it. It’s nothing to do with that. Instead of a businessman who’s doing his thing to be a businessman, and good luck to him as a businessman.”
Mbeki said Parliament must do what the Constitutional Court had ordered.
“The ANC must look at its own business. I don’t know, unless, unless there are people in the ANC who are in fact in partnership with business Ramaphosa, so they must then take a stand. There’s no need to. ‘I’m a businessman, he says so. I’m a businessman, I’m running a business, I sell and buy cattle and wildlife,’ so what more do you want him to say?” Mbeki said.
ANC misses deadline
Meanwhile, the ANC has failed to meet parliament’s deadline to submit names of MPs to serve on the Phala Phala impeachment committee, exposing deep divisions within its leadership and sparking tensions across the legislature.
The Sunday Times reported that, according to well‑placed sources in both the ANC and Parliament, the party missed Speaker Thoko Didiza’s 22 May deadline as chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli and secretary‑general Fikile Mbalula clashed over representation.
The delay now threatens to stall the highly anticipated committee’s work.
“Delays in the submission of names mean that the committee cannot be constituted and therefore cannot meet to elect a chairperson and consider a programme. Delays in such an important process are not in the public interest,” one insider warned.
Impasse
The ANC holds nine seats on the 31‑member committee, but is the only party to have missed the deadline.
The DA, MK party and EFF have already submitted their nominees. Ntuli is said to favour experienced MPs from previous ad hoc committees, while Mbalula prefers figures such as Doris Mpapane, Donald Selamolela and Boyce Maneli.
Mbalula told journalists: “You will see that list when it’s unveiled in parliament, maybe in the coming week, as to who represents the ANC. I want to keep it like that.”
The impasse is expected to be resolved by the ANC’s top seven officials.
