Durban - President Cyril Ramaphosa is under unprecedented pressure to resign or provide more details on why the Section 89 independent panel found that there is prima facie evidence of serious misconduct against him over the foreign currency that was held at his property.
In a day of drama yesterday, Ramaphosa was due to hold an evening “family meeting” but this was postponed with his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya saying the president was still consulting.
An ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting that was scheduled for last night has been postponed to today.
Earlier, Ramaphosa postponed a question-and-answer session in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) where he would have faced a barrage from the opposition benches.
There was intense speculation that Ramaphosa was poised to resign or that the NEC would recall the president after the panel found that there was prima facie evidence that he may have violated the Constitution.
Nonetheless, Ramaphosa is expected to face a grilling at today’s meeting with some NEC members expected to take him to task after the panel found prima facie evidence that he had undisclosed foreign currency on his farm and that he was not open about the investigation.
Regardless of the outcomes of the NEC meeting, opposition parties are forging ahead with plans to use parliamentary processes to remove the president from office.
They say the damning findings must lead to the establishment of an impeachment committee.
The panel was formed after the ATM submitted a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa after former State Security Agency (SSA) boss Arthur Fraser opened criminal charges over the farm incident.
The ATM yesterday approached Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula requesting a secret ballot when Parliament meets on Tuesday to vote on an impeachment committee.
“Madam speaker must accept that (a) secret ballot voting system is necessary in certain circumstances for the effective exercise of the members of the National Assembly right to vote without outside influence or conscience which would render the right an empty one,” the ATM said.
It also pointed out to the Speaker that the adoption of a secret ballot is based on the “principle that it promotes and protects freedom of expression of choice without undue influence, intimidation and fear of disapproval from others or a money-inspired sham”.
Ramaphosa may decide to take the panel report on review but ATM leader Vuyo Zungula believes the impeachment process will still go ahead.
“It is within his power to review but the panel made its findings on credible information.
“Ramaphosa must wait for Parliament to make its decision and then take that on review,” said Zungula.
For an impeachment committee to go ahead, 266 members of the National Assembly would need to approve the vote, taking into account that the ANC has 230 members.
“We believe that ANC members will support the vote and any member of Parliament who votes against it is just as much responsible for violating the law and Constitution as the president.”
DA leader John Steenhuisen said yesterday that the party had tabled a motion for early elections and had pushed for the establishment of an impeachment committee.
“The report is clear and unambiguous and an impeachment process into his conduct as per his rule of conduct must go ahead.
“He must offer a far better explanation to South Africans than he has done. The panel believes the source of money and how the investigation took place was flawed.”
Steenhuisen said when Ramaphosa was elected, South Africans wanted to believe this meant saying goodbye to corruption and graft but this was not the case.
“Even under ideal circumstances we had a mountain to climb but when you have a compromised president fighting for his political life, none of that critical work will be done,” said Steenhuisen.
The IFP said considering all factors, the panel could not have arrived at any conclusions other than the ones presented in their report.
“The prima facie evidence is compelling. Therefore, on Tuesday, 6 December, when the panel report is considered by the National Assembly, the IFP will vote in support of the adoption of the report by the House, as well as in support of the establishment of an impeachment committee,” the party said in a statement.
The EFF said it would also request a secret ballot at next week’s meeting of the National Assembly.
“It is now clear that there is a deliberate cover-up of the crimes committed by Ramaphosa and our law-enforcement agencies are complicit,” the party said in a statement.