President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering his Sona at Cape Town City Hall. File picture. Photo: Parliament of South Africa/Twitter
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s presentation of the Presidency’s budget vote has gotten off to a rocky start in Cape Town, after MPs from the EFF disrupted his speech with several points of order.
The EFF vowed this week to disrupt Parliament if Ramaphosa is allowed to deliver the budget vote for his office.
This follows the scandal involving the alleged theft of $4 million (about R61 million) in cash at his game farm in Limpopo two years ago.
After hearing several points of order from MPs, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said she would not entertain questions over the robbery at Ramaphosa’s farm.
She said the Presidency budget vote was long scheduled during Parliament’s programming committee.
ALSO READ: Ramaphosa took Cabinet into his confidence on robbery at his farm, says Gungubele
Ramaphosa has come under increasing public pressure to come clean on the robbery at his Phala Phala game farm after former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid a criminal complaint against him 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.
He further claimed that the suspects were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated, and paid to keep silent.
According to Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, the tabling of the budget is an opportunity for Ramaphosa to update Parliament on the progress of government since he delivered the State of Nation Address (Sona) earlier this year.
“The annual tabling of departmental budget votes provides an opportunity for Parliament and the public to be updated on how government goes about implementing programmes under the key national priorities and how budgets appropriated to departments will be used,” Magwenya said in a statement.
Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe
WATCH: EFF releases videos allegedly showing $4 million robbery at Ramaphosa’s farm
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
