No final report yet from ANC integrity commission on Phala Phala as Ramaphosa remains mum

A leaked report, said to be of the African National Congress’ integrity commission, has found that while President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala saga has brought the party into disrepute, it was impossible at this stage to point a finger at a specific individual.

The report, titled ‘Progress Report on the Phala Phala Matter’, explains that although it held two meetings with Ramaphosa in July and September to discuss the issue, the president said he was “unable” to discuss details around the robbery, which is under investigation by different government institutions, including the Office of the Public Protector.

As a result, the integrity commission was unable to produce a report with final findings into the matter, and could only recommend that Ramaphosa takes the NEC into his confidence.

“Given that we have not been able to hear from Cde President, we are unable to determine the cause of what has brought the ANC into disrepute. It could be that it is actions of individuals on Cde President’s farm that has brought the ANC into disrepute. It could be Cde President’s response to events on the farm that have brought the ANC into disrepute. It could be the reporting of the incident to the police station by an ANC member that has brought the ANC into disrepute,” reads the report.

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“It could be forces external to the ANC and the way in which they have mobilised around the incident that has brought the ANC into disrespute. It could be the way in which forces within the ANC have mobilised that have brought the ANC into disrepute. It could be that Cde President broke the law that has brought the ANC into disrepute.

“Whatever the final outcomes of the Phala Phala case will be, it is not going to enable the ANC to fulfill the promise of renewal. The NEC may not be able to fairly and honestly reflect on this issue and provide appropriate leadership.”

The ANC’s NEC is holding a meeting in person for the first time in two years, from today until tomorrow at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in the south of Johannesburg, where the party will hold its 55th national elective conference next month.

The meeting is expected to receive a number of organisational reports, including the ANC integrity commission’s report on the Phala Phala scandal, as well as feedback on preparations ahead of the elective congress.

Integrity commission head George Mashamba told TimesLIVE on Friday that the leaked report didn’t come from the commission.

“I can’t comment on something that you say is a report of the IC. I can’t comment on that. All I’m telling you is that we have not issued any report yet,” Mashamba was quoted as saying.

Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal

Ramaphosa has increasingly come under public pressure to come clean on the robbery at his Phala Phala farm, after former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid a criminal complaint against him in June of money laundering, kidnapping and corruption.

Fraser alleged that the president was involved in an elaborate cover-up of the crime after criminals – allegedly working in cahoots with his domestic worker – broke into his property and stole millions of US dollars in cash.

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He further claimed that the suspects were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated and bribed to keep quiet.

While Ramaphosa said he would cooperate with investigations, he denied any criminality on his part and maintained that the crime was reported to the Presidential Protection Unit.

Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe