Phala Phala report: Citizens ‘disappointed’ in findings and Ramaphosa’s conduct

There have been mixed reactions from ordinary South Africans to the question of whether President Cyril Ramaphosa should step down.

In the latest Phala Phala findings, Ramaphosa – who had modelled himself as a man of high moral standards and was known as the champion for anti-corruption – was under fire for his farm burglary situation which left South Africans taken aback.

‘Disappointed’

Siyabonga Dlangalala, from Tembisa, said he felt disappointed about the Section 89 independent panel’s Phala Phala findings.

Dlangalala said his disappointment stemmed from a number of factors.

“When the Ramaphosa’s dispensation began, his number one campaign strategy was he would be the president who would fight against corruption and the criminal acts by government officials, and that he would administer a corruption-free government, acting as a saviour, seeing our horrible history with corruption, only to find he is no different from the rest of his colleagues,” he said.

“I feel the right thing for Ramaphosa to do is leave.

Step-aside rule

“The main reason why I think he should leave is I feel that like all other senior members of the ANC, he should also adhere to the step-aside rule that has been put in place, it is only fair.”

Dlangalala said even though he was of the view Ramaphosa should step down, he had fear of the uncertain future which would come with this.

“I know of no charismatic leader who we can trust with the top job in the ranks of our ruling party,” he said.

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‘Signs were there’

Mbulelo Mpongwana from Soweto said the signs were there for South African citizens regarding the mentality and character of Ramaphosa.

“But we chose to ignore them just to get rid of former president Jacob Zuma,” he said.

“For starters, the Marikana massacre, where as a director of the mine, he implored on the police minister to take action on striking miners. Secondly, as a billionaire, he chose to take the salary for the presidency, hardly contributing it to charity.

‘Gripe runs deep’

“His gripe for not getting the deputy presidency during the Mandela era still runs deep.

“The Phala Phala saga is just the symptom of his revenge and disdain for the seat he holds. How else can one explain a sizeable amount of dollars, not even rands, hidden under the mattress, guarded by illegal foreigners on his farm.

“The plausible explanation in the absence of documentary proof is that some foreigners bribed him for some favour.”

Mpongwana said Ramaphosa’s greed knew no bounds and the fact that he refused to resign showed what a character he was.

Empty promises

“Can he name one promise he kept? What happened to the millions of jobs he promised?

“It’s a pity that if one looks at the calibre of leaders the ANC have to offer, he is the better devil that we have to live with. But even if he wins the [ANC] presidency, he will find it unattainable to continue with SA presidency,” he said.

While some wanted Ramaphosa to resign, others did not agree.

Ntombi Dlamini from Vosloorus said she was disappointed with everything that Ramaphosa had been accused off.

“I ask myself, did I really know who Ramaphosa was since he claimed to care about the people of South Africa or has this just revealed who he truly is? Could this just show he is just like all these other corrupt politicians?”

Dlamini said SA was aware when Ramaphosa became president he was a businessman and would continue with his businesses.

“Zuma also came in and they knew exactly what he was like, yet still voted for him. “From my side, I am grateful he [Ramaphosa] was around the time of the Covid pandemic.

‘Bold’ decisions

“He took bold decisions, especially when it comes to the vaccines,” she said. “I would not like for him to go now. He cannot just wake and decide to go. These issues need to be resolved.”

Xolani Nkosi from Thokoza said the sad part about this was that the people who tried to remove Ramaphosa had dirty records and did this on purpose.

“The only way for them to balance and get into power is for them to bring in the Phala Phala issue,” he said.

“They are using this as a plot to remove him, so they know when they are in power, they can use this to clean their dirty records. These are the same people implicated in state capture.”

Nkosi added this was bigger than what met the eye.

“I think we should just let the president continue while being investigated. It is clear this is just a cover-up,” he said.

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