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Ramaphosa says ANC’s step aside process would apply to himself if he’s charged
Ramaphosa said Arthur Fraser had the right to report his allegations of criminality and that he won't interfere in the investigations against him.
President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Good Hope Chamber in Cape Town on Thursday. Picture: @PresidencyZA/Twitter
President Cyril Ramaphosa says he won’t interfere with the investigation surrounding the alleged theft of $4 million at his Limpopo far, and he would also abide by the party’s processes if the ANC’s step aside rules were to come into play.
Ramaphosa faced questions from the media on the $4 million robbery at his Phala Phala farm in Waterberg, Limpopo, which is said to have taken place on 9 February 2020.
Fraser last week laid criminal charges against the president of money laundering, kidnapping and corruption.
He had claimed that the suspects who broke into the president’s property were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated, and paid off to keep silent.
‘Due process’
During Friday’s briefing, Ramaphosa maintained that due process must be followed regarding the ongoing investigations into the robbery.
“Let the due process happen as regards to things like was this laundering, how much money was there, was there any torture and all those related questions,” he said.
“I would like to hold on to that whilst I give consideration to the positions that we’ve also put to me in the National Assembly. And I do that with respect [because] I am a process person and the process must unfold,” he said.
Ramaphosa also said the ANC’s step aside rule would be enforced against him if he is charged.
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“If I were to be charged, yes the processes in the governing party will have to unfold,” he said.
The ANC this week defended Ramaphosa, saying the president would not step aside and confirmed that he would voluntarily present himself to the party’s integrity commission following a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting.
The governing party said the ANC president would be afforded the opportunity to address the allegations by Fraser.
“As you well have known I have offered to go myself, on a voluntary basis, to the integrity and we will be seeing them, but a date hasn’t not being set yet,” Ramaphosa added.
Regarding Fraser report the matter to the police, Ramaphosa said the former SSA director-general had a right to do so.
“He has done what he has done and has the right like any citizen to report criminality. That is the right of all our citizens that we all have,” the president said.
The president added that he expects the authorities to act as fairly as possible, just like the office of the Public Protector when investigating the matter.
Hawks receive docket
The Public Protector’s office confirmed on Wednesday that a complaint was lodged by the ATM against Ramaphosa for allegedly breaching the Executive Code of Ethics in relation to the robbery.
The investigation and report into the incident is expected be completed in 30 days.
Meanwhile, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DCPI), also known as the Hawks, has received the docket into the robbery from the South African Police Service (Saps).
Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo told Newzroom Afrika on Thursday that criminal charges laid are under investigation.
READ MORE: Ramaphosa refuses to provide key details of $4 million robbery
As the case against Ramaphosa also involves Namibian President Hage Geingob, who has denied the allegations, Mbambo said the Hawks will investigate any person regardless of their stature.
Parliament is also considering the “substantive issues raised” on the robbery following a request from the African Transformational Movement (ATM) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM), who wrote to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula asking that a parliamentary inquiry be established.
Mapisa-Nqakula assured MPs during Thurday’s National Assembly Programming Committee meeting that she will look into the matter and indicated that her decision on the parliamentary inquiry will be communicated next week.
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