Phala Phala: Ramaphosa given 10 days to submit answers to independent panel

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been given 10 days to answer questions relating to the Phala Phala farm scandal.

An independent panel, which will determine whether Ramaphosa has a prima facie case to answer on Phala Phala, has allocated the president the timeframe between 28 October and 6 November to respond to information and questions received regarding the robbery.

In addition, Members of Parliament (MPs) will be given six days – between 22 and 27 October – to submit evidence to the independent panel, according to Parliament’s announcements, tabling and committee (ATC) report.

‘Severe time constraints’

The three-person panel started its working on Wednesday and has been given 30 days to complete its work.

During this period, the panel will have 10 days – from 7 to 17 November – to consider all information received, conduct any additional research required, deliberate on the facts, and write and finalise the report for National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Furthermore, Parliament has stressed the panel would work under “severe time constraints”.

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“Non-compliance with the timeframe set out above will impact negatively on the timelines for the delivery of the report to the Speaker.

“Late submissions will not be accepted without the prior written consent of the chairperson obtained before the expiry of the six-day period,” the report read.

The panel is chaired by former Constitutional Court (ConCourt) Chief Justice, Sandile Ngcobo while former Judge Thokozile Masipa and Advocate Mahlape Sello, who recently served on the State Capture Commission, also form part of the panel.

Section 89 motion

The establishment of the panel comes after Mapisa-Nqakula accepted a request by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) for a Section 89 inquiry to be established against Ramaphosa, who has long denied any criminal conduct.

The ATM’s motion was based on allegations of money laundering, among others, related to February 2020. 

The panel has to make a recommendation on whether sufficient evidence exists to show Ramaphosa committed any of the violations specified in the party’s motion.

This may lead to the president being subjected to a process that may lead to his removal from office in terms of Section 89 of the Constitution and Rule 129A-Q of the National Assembly Rules.

Meanwhile, the Hawks have processed at least 41 affidavits regarding the robbery and the Public Protector’s office is investigating whether Ramaphosa violated the Executive Members’ Ethics Code by not reporting the robbery to the police.

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