Phala Phala deadline extension: EFF to exhaust all avenues to ensure report is tabled this year

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Wednesday said it condemns the extension for the submission of the Phala Phala report to Parliament.

The panel, formed to investigate the Phala Phala incident, was granted an extension for the submission of the report until the end of the month.

National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula extended the deadline by 13 days – from 17 November to 30 November.

Parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo confirmed the update, saying Panel Chair, Retired CJ Sandile Ngcobo asked for the extension “due to the amount of work still to be done”.

National Assembly Speaker has extended deadline on which the Panel of Experts will submit its report from 17 Nov to 30 Nov. This follows letter by Panel Chair, Retired CJ Sandile Ngcobo, requesting extension due to the amount of work still to be done. Full statement to follow

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EFF said in a statement that this act was opportunism by both the Speaker of Parliament and the Independent Panel and both parties connived to reach to this decision.

“The extension effectively means that the report cannot be tabled and heard in Parliament this year, as the fourth term of Parliament ends on the 1st of December 2022.

“This is yet another delay tactic, objectively to ensure that Ramaphosa is not held accountable before his internal political party elective conference. It is a collusion to protect Ramaphosa from scrutiny and not jeopardise his desire to secure a second term as the leader of the ruling party.”

The party also stated that the president and those ‘associated’ with him were determined to avoid accountability by being deliberately reluctant to release reports and findings by the Acting Public Protector, the South African Reserve Bank, the National Prosecuting Authority and now the Independent  Panel.

The EFF also said that it would work tirelessly to ensure that the Phala Phala report is tabled before Parliament this year by exhausting all avenues, including convening an urgent sitting.

“We are of the firm view that Ramaphosa participated in crimes which include money laundering, abduction, bribery, concealment of a crime and the misuse of state resources to recover his illicit money, and any finding outside of this would be illogical, factional, and not in the interests of accountability and justice,” said the EFF.