Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, briefs media. Picture: GCIS
Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele has appealed to the public to give President Cyril Ramaphosa space while he studies the report of the independent panel into the Phala Phala scandal.
An independent panel of experts appointed by National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, released its damning report on Wednesday into the theft of foreign currency at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo two years ago.
The three-member panel, headed by retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, found that Ramaphosa may have a case to answer over claims of money laundering, kidnapping and corruption related to the 2020 robbery.
ALSO READ: Independent panel finds Ramaphosa has a case to answer on Phala Phala
The panel also found that Ramaphosa exposed himself to a situation involving a conflict between his official responsibilities and his private business.
While the president has denied any wrongdoing, if a majority of MPs in the National Assembly vote in favour of adopting the report’s findings next Tuesday – Ramaphosa could be the first president in South Africa’s democratic history to face an impeachment inquiry into his fitness to hold office.
Addressing the media on Thursday, during a post-Cabinet briefing in Cape Town, Gungubele called on South Africans to give the president time to study and consider the Section 89 panel’s findings.
He said once Ramaphosa is done going through the report, he would make an announcement in due course on what he intends to do.
“Our attitude is that we should respect that exercise. These are not statements or findings where you can easily wake up and say ‘this is what I think’…
“The president is studying the findings and he will make an announcement in due course. We strongly call on South Africans for the indulgence to actually await that,” said Gungubele.
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The minister, who is known to be a close ally of the president, said Ramaphosa had always been a law-abiding citizen.
He said Ramaphosa had never broken any laws of the country and “he has demonstrated [this] all his life”.
“Up to this point, the president has respected the laws of this country. The president subjected himself to this process [the Section 89 independent panel].
“We have not seen anything untoward as far as the laws of the country are concerned,” said Gungubele.
Gungubele added that the preliminary evidence found by the panel did not mean that Ramaphosa was found guilty of any wrongdoing.
“Prima facie evidence says at face value, ‘it appears this has not gone right’ [and] maybe an elaborate exercise to check further could lead to something.
“So, prima facie evidence is not a conclusive finding on anything, but it’s an indication that there is a need to clarify certain things.”
Meanwhile, the Presidency cancelled two engagements involving the president on Thursday.
Ramaphosa was expected to appear before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to answer MPs’ questions, but this will no longer be taking place.
The media briefing by the Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya into Ramaphosa’s public programme for the week ahead was also cancelled at the last minute.
The ANC’s highest decision-making body in between conferences – the national executive committee (NEC) – is expected to meet on Thursday evening for a special meeting to deliberate on the Phala Phala panel report.
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