The ANC will brief the media after a special NEC meeting on the Constitutional Court ruling, as political pressure mounts over the Section 89 Phala Phala impeachment process involving Ramaphosa.
Image: ANC Fikile Mbalula/ X
The African National Congress (ANC) is expected to outline its position on the Constitutional Court ruling in the Phala Phala matter after convening a special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to deliberate on the future of the Section 89 impeachment process involving President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The meeting follows last week’s Constitutional Court judgment, which found that Parliament acted irrationally and inconsistently with the Constitution when it rejected the Section 89 Independent Panel report in 2022, effectively halting impeachment proceedings at the time.
In a statement, the ANC said its National Officials would brief the media after the NEC meeting, which was convened to discuss “organisational and national matters of importance”.
“The briefing will provide an update on the outcomes and discussions arising from the Special NEC meeting,” the party said.
The ANC added that the sitting followed “the official briefing of the National Officials to the NEC on the way forward with regards to the Section 89 process coming out of the Constitutional Court judgement”.
In its ruling, the Constitutional Court set aside the National Assembly’s 2022 decision, finding it was “irrational and inconsistent with the Constitution”, and ordered that the Section 89 report proceed to an impeachment committee.
In December 2022, MPs voted 214 to 148 against adopting the report.
The report found that Ramaphosa “may have a case to answer” over the 2020 theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo, and alleged a possible cover-up.
The matter escalated after former spy boss Arthur Fraser accused Ramaphosa of concealing the theft and failing to follow proper law enforcement procedures after cash allegedly hidden inside furniture was stolen from the farm.
Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing, insisting the money came from the legal sale of game animals.
Following the ruling, opposition parties including the Economic Freedom Fighters, ActionSA and others have called for Ramaphosa’s resignation.
However, in a national address earlier this week, Ramaphosa said he would not resign and would instead take the Section 89 report on judicial review.
“I will not resign,” he said, adding that his legal team had advised that the report contains “grave errors of law and unfounded factual conclusions”.
He argued that stepping down would amount to pre-empting a constitutional process, saying it would “give credibility to a report that I believe is fundamentally flawed”.
Ramaphosa added that he remained focused on governing the country, saying: “There is still much work to be done. I will remain in service of the people of South Africa.”
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has confirmed the establishment of a 31-member parliamentary committee to reconsider the Phala Phala evidence and determine whether impeachment proceedings should proceed.
The committee will include MPs from all 16 political parties, with the ANC allocated nine seats, the Democratic Alliance five, uMkhonto weSizwe Party three and the Economic Freedom Fighters two, while smaller parties will each have one representative.
Political parties have until May 22 to submit names of members who will serve on the committee.
A two-thirds majority in the National Assembly would be required to remove the president from office.
IOL Politics