It’s unlikely Ramaphosa will ever answer questions on Phala Phala

As opposition parties and some in the country demand answers about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s controversial robbery at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in 2020, it’s unlikely that number one will ever answer these questions.

The president has been ducking and dodging to answer questions on the Phala Phala farmgate scandal since the State Security Agency’s (SSA) former Director-General Arthur Fraser laid a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, accusing him of breaching the prevention of organised crime act by not reporting the robbery in 2020.

Despite angry badgering from MPs, Ramaphosa stuck to his guns on Tuesday in Parliament, once again refusing to answer specific questions on the burglary saying he would let the investigative process be completed before commenting.

ALSO READ: Zondo says Parliament and ANC will allow state capture to happen again

It’s unlikely that Ramaphosa will ever answer questions on Phala Phala despite the presidency insisting that he did in fact answer the questions posed by opposition parties.

The reason that Ramaphosa may not accede to provide clarity on what happened at the farm, is what Chief Justice Raymond said during his keynote address at News24’s “On the record summit” in Sandton on Thursday.

While Zondo was speaking in the context of state capture, a pertinent point he made reflects that Ramaphosa may have a cushion from Parliament and the majority African National Congress (ANC) party to stop the blows from opposition parties.

In the context of state capture, Zondo said the evidence that was presented to the State Capture Commission by both the national chairperson and the president of the ANC was clear.

“Members of the majority party are not expected or should not vote or support a motion of no confidence in the president of the country who is their president or the president of their party,” said Zondo.

“If that is so, it’s unlikely that the majority would act differently and therefore Parliament would differently. And the question arises, does that mean we are at risk that what happened to us as a country which saw us losing billions of rands could happen again at some stage and Parliament would not be able to prevent it?”

While there is a vast difference between state capture and the Phala Phala scandal Ramaphosa has faced a few motions of no confidence against him.

In August, seven opposition parties said they would bring a motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa, two months after the African Transformation Movement (ATM) tabled a section 89 motion to impeach him on charges of breaching the constitution in the Farmgate scandal.

They told a media briefing they wanted Ramaphosa removed from office to allow investigations into the theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala game farm to proceed unhindered.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said Ramaphosa had breached “many laws, the Constitution and his oath of office”, starting with failing to report the burglary and asking the presidential protection service to investigate it instead, in an abuse of state resources for his private ends.

“A motion of no confidence requires very low reasons. By his very admission as the president he said there were dollars under his mattress and sofas. And that resources of the state were used without a case being opened. That is reason enough to pass a motion of no confidence,”

So, the question that needs to be asked is when push comes to shove, will Ramaphosa ever answer questions on the robbery or just duck and dive again?

On Thursday, National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula wrote to Ramaphosa to request him to provide a date when he can return to answer questions on the Phala Phala farm robbery.

Opposition parties and the country will just have to wait and see if Ramaphosa will continue with his rhetoric that he would let the investigative process be completed before commenting on the matter.

Don’t hold your breath, it may be a long time.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa did answer questions about Phala Phala, Presidency insists