GOOD Party believes Phala Phala vote should have been postponed

During the Parliamentary debate on Tuesday, as MPs prepared to vote on whether or not to adopt the Phala Phala report, GOOD Party’s Brett Herron called for the proceedings to be postponed.

Herron said the National Assembly finds itself at a crossroads.

He said it can either break away from the “culture of impunity” and hold the executive to account, or it “could fall again into its old habits”.

Vote to adopt Phala Phala report

However, he said the vote to decide whether President Cyril Ramaphosa should face an impeachment process should not go ahead until his review application has been completed.

Ramaphosa, earlier in December, filed papers at the Constitutional Court to review and set aside the Section 89 panel report.

“GOOD respects the right of the President to take the Independent Panel’s Report on review,” said Herron.

“It would be unfair and unreasonable to haul a sitting president before an impeachment committee while these legal questions remain unanswered.”

He said that the impeachment committee can proceed if Ramaphosa’s review fails.

Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, however, ruled that Herron’s motion should have been proposed earlier in the proceedings and declined his request.

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Julius Malema

Earlier in the proceedings, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said he was “deeply disappointed in Ramaphosa”.

He said Ramaphosa’s reluctance to “allow inquiry into the activities at Phala Phala Farm are shocking and concerning”.

Moreover, Malema suggested Ramaphosa was linked to “criminal underworld activities” such as money laundering and “making money on the side”.

John Steenhuisen

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen compared Ramaphosa to former president Jacob Zuma.

He said the Nkandla scandal is no different to the to the Phala Phala scandal.

Steenhuisen said not many people in parliament believe that Ramaphosa had been truthful about the origin of the money or what he intended to do with it.

Additional reporting by Cheryl Kahla

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