Ramaphosa’s supporters adamant he should not resign, according to insiders

President Cyril Ramaphosa was ready to resign after the Phala Phala panel report – but his supporters are adamant he must stay because, otherwise the ANC and the country would land in wrong hands.

Insiders said the President had told senior party members he would resign, the first time that an ANC president voluntarily offered step down, following accusation of misconduct. His predecessor, Jacob Zuma, resisted calls for him to step down over his criminal charges and when he was recalled early from office in 2018 to give way to Ramaphosa.

Backers

A high voltage battery of his backers – who included ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, NEC member and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana – strongly believe that if the President resigns, that would be handing over power to his opponents within the party on a platter.

Some members said an special national executive committee (NEC) meeeting, scheduled for yesterday but subsequently adjourned, was heading for a stand-off between the Thuma Mina and RET factions, who wanted Ramaphosa to step down immediately.

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Loyalty

Thuma Mina is the group loyal to Ramaphosa while the RET (radical economic transformation) people orbit Jacob Zuma.

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said the NEC meeting was adjourned until tomorrow to allow for the ANC top six and its national working committee (NWC) to process the section-89 Panel Report submitted to Parliament this week.

The NWC would convene a NEC meeting to report to it and all of this had to happen between today and Sunday before the ANC made a public announcement on Ramaphosa’s fate on Tuesday, he said.

Ramaphosa’s supporters vowed to stand with him

It is understood those behind the push for him to stay were ANC deputy president candidates Ronald Lamola and Oscar Mabuyane joined by the Northern Cape premier and ANC provincial chair, Dr Zamani Saul; Gwen Ramokgopa, who is co-ordinator of the ANC secretary-general’s office and NEC member Derek Hanekom.

While other members were coy about speaking publicly on the matter, Northern Cape ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga was forthright about where his province stood on the issue.

Pre-Nasrec RET group

“We cannot allow the President to resign two weeks before the National Conference and hand back the ANC to the pre-Nasrec RET group. It will be a shootout in the NEC and we will stand with the President not to resign, ” Ngxanga said before the NEC gathering adjourned.

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“The President is not charged and therefore not required to stand down. Equally, those who are implicated in the Zondo report are still in the NEC until they are charged. This is the position of the Northern Cape Province,” Ngxanga added.

As the debate over the President’s future continued Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba expressed concern about the deteriorating situation in the governing party and its prospects to turn into lawlessness in the entire country.

SA is in crisis

“The country is in crisis and our governing party seems to be in meltdown. It is correct that no one should be above the law, but to pass final judgement on a person based on what is in effect a board of preliminary investigation, which has not made a final determination of the facts, could lead to lawlessness in South Africa,” Makgoba said.

The bishop said if the President lost the political support of his party before a final determination of his conduct was made, an interim government must be established.

Unity

“I call for the establishment of a government of national unity under a respected elder to stabilise the country until the next election. And during the next year we need to hold an economic Codesa to address the real crisis facing the country, which is the scandalous gap between those who benefit from intergenerational wealth and those who are locked out of the economy,” Makgoba said.

Several of Ramaphosa’s supporters confirmed the President’s willingness to resign over the Panel report on events surrounding the Phala Phala farm saga – but feared that the party and the country could land in wrong hands should the President go.

Admitting defeat

The NEC members who spoke on condition of anonymity, also feared that if Ramaphosa left. that would be admitting defeat against the ongoing total onslaught launched against him by his rivals in the RET.

Ramaphosa was being challenged by former health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize for the ANC presidency and some RET members back Mkhize.

The RET and its allies the African Transformation Movement and the Economic Freedom Fighters were joined by the United Democratic Movement led by Bantu Holomisa in gunning for him since the Phala Phala saga emerged.

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In its investigation, the section-89 Panel, chaired by retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer regarding a robbery at his farm Phala Phala in 2020 where a large sum of money in US dollars was stolen in a burglary. The President was accused of trying to conceal the theft amidst claims that he contravened the law by dealing in foreign currency money illegally.

But Ramaphosa vehemently denied the claimed and told the Panel in his submission to it that the money came from proceeds of sale of game from his farm.