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Ramaphosa farm theft: ATM gives parliament deadline to respond to request for inquiry
'Why is it taking so long to advise next steps? The ATM is resolute to hold President Ramaphosa accountable,' the ATM said.
ATM president Vuyo Zungula during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate on 25 June 2019 in Parliament. Picture: Gallo Images/Netwerk24/Jaco Marais
The African Transformational Movement (ATM) has raised concern over Parliament’s “silence” over President Cyril Ramaphosa’s $4 million theft.
Almost two weeks ago, the ATM wrote to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula requesting for a Section 89 inquiry to be established.
This related to allegations that Ramaphosa breached the Prevention of Organised Crime Act by not reporting the February 2020 theft at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.
While Mapisa-Nqakula did indicate that she was considering the ATM’s submission, the party seems to have grown impatient over the Speaker’s delay.
“Why is it taking so long to advise next steps? The ATM is resolute to hold President Ramaphosa accountable,” the ATM said in a tweet on Sunday.
‘Formal reminder’
ATM President Vuyolwethu Zungula on Monday sent a “formal reminder” to Mapisa-Nqakula over the matter.
“We submitted a letter raising a motion to your office for the establishment of a section 89 committee inquiry in terms of Rule 129A, yet there is not formal communication from the Speaker’s office with regards to our request.
“As part of being objective and ensuring that the work of Parliament is unhindered, the Speaker must prioritise such matters, especially where there are accusations of this magnitude against the President,” he said.
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Zungula indicated that the ATM would explore other options should the Speaker fail to respond to their letter by Tuesday.
“Seeing that two weeks have passed since our submission and no formal response has been received from your office beyond the elaborated acknowledgement of receipt dated the 17 June, we are giving the Speaker until [4pm on 28 June] to respond to the motion raised by the ATM, failing which, we will explore other remedies open to us.”
Mapisa-Nqakula previously rejected the ATM’s initial request for a Section 89 inquiry after considering the “substantive issues raised” on the matter.
The Speaker said the party’s request inquiry was not accompanied by substantive motions as required by Parliament’s rules.
Ipid request
The ATM recently asked the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) to investigate allegations that police top brass knew about the alleged cover-up of the Phala Pharm farm theft.
In a letter to Ipid head Jennifer Dikeledi Ntlatseng, the party said claims by the Namibian Police Force (Nampol) that they met with the South African Police Service (Saps) showed that they were involved in the alleged cover-up.
Based on allegations by former State Security Agency (SSA) director-general Arthur Fraser, the ATM said “all the affected police officers should be suspended pending the investigation into their alleged complicity”.
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When Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa, he alleged that the suspects who broke into the president’s farm were kidnapped and interrogated.
Meanwhile, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s office is investigating whether Ramaphosa violated the Executive Members’ Ethics Code by not reporting the crime to the police after a complanit was lodged by the ATM.
The Public Protector’s report into the theft is expected be completed in 30 days.
