Ramaphosa’s people won the first round – Malema

The adjournment on Friday of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting meant to discuss the Phala Phala report has left politicians divided on the matter.

Members of the NEC met briefly at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Friday afternoon, after a report by an independent panel that found that President Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated the Constitution.

The special NEC meeting comes just two weeks before the ANC’s elective conference, which will take place from 16 to 20 December. 

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said NEC officials would meet again on Sunday, after the ANC’s National Working Committee (NWC) has convened to discuss the report.

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The NWC – which consists of Ramaphosa, Deputy President David Mabuza, ANC chair Gwede Mantashe and Mashatile – will process the report then send it to the NEC.

‘First round won’

Reacting to the adjournment, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said Ramaphosa’s people had won the first round.

“Cyril’s people won the first round by forcing the postponement of the NEC on a technical point of the process. They are buying themselves time by postponing the inevitable,” said the EFF leader.

This as KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo labelled the adjournment as a waste of time.

“It’s something that is unprecedented because we thought were called in an NEC meeting because officials sat and reflected on the matter and go through NWC so that NWC makes recommendations to the NEC. But when we came here, it was discovered that those processes were not followed and unfortunately the NEC has to adjourn,” Mtolo told the media following the adjournment.

Mtolo said while it was not the call of the KZN ANC for Ramaphosa to resign, “we trust he will do what is right for the country, himself and the movement.”

‘Not ideal’ for Ramaphosa to resign

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said he believed people were making a big issue out the adjournment.

“The NEC says ‘we’re used to discuss things which have been processed and with recommendations. They start from the top 6 to the NWC, when they come to us, the recommendations and policy choices made before us. We don’t normally, as a big meeting like this, discuss raw things’.”

He, however, said it was not ideal for Ramaphosa to resign.

“It’s not ideal for him to resign particularly in this current environment, but if he does, there will of course be an immediate reaction. We will have to respond with two things: Make sure that the candidate that replaces him will provide the same credibility. Secondly, our communication of our policy stance remains consistent,” he told Newzroom Afrika on Friday.

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