Picture File: President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma during the Presidential Jobs Summit at the Gallagher Convention Centre on 4 October 2018 in Midrand, Johannesburg. Picture: Gallo Images/Netwerk24/Felix Dlangamandla
ANC presidential hopeful and Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to step aside over the findings of the independent panel into the Phala Phala scandal.
The Section 89 independent panel, headed by retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, on Wednesday made damning findings against Ramaphosa over the theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo two years ago.
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The three-member panel found prima facie evidence against Ramaphosa concerning the burglary at his farm, paving the way for a parliamentary impeachment inquiry into his fitness to hold office if a majority of MPs in the National Assembly vote in favour of adopting the report’s findings.
Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing on his side.
Dlamini-Zuma called for Ramaphosa to step aside in line with the ANC’s controversial step-aside rule, in an interview with eNCA’s Power to Truth programme on Wednesday evening.
This is despite the fact that Ramaphosa has not been criminally charged as the ANC’s step-aside resolution only requires party members who are criminally charged to temporarily vacate their positions.
“I think the president will have to step aside [and] answer the case. I think he should step aside as [president of the ANC and country] because the president has influence over everything.
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“So, if he has a case to answer, then it’s better if he is not there when people are asking the questions,” said Dlamini-Zuma.
The minister emphasised that Ramaphosa should not wait to be criminally charged before stepping down.
“The judges have said he has a case to answer; it’s not coming from me or you, but it’s coming from a panel led by a judge appointed by Parliament,” she said.
Dlamini-Zuma has previously criticised the ANC’s step-aside rule and called for it to be scrapped after calling it “unjust”.
Meanwhile, ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe has dismissed calls for Ramaphosa to step aside in accordance with the governing party’s 2017 resolution.
Mabe said the step-aside rule does not apply to Ramaphosa at this point because he has not been criminally charged.
The ANC’s highest decision-making body in between conferences – the national executive committee (NEC) – is expected to meet on Thursday evening for a special meeting to deliberate on the Phala Phala panel report.
Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe
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