Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Pretoria - UDM president Bantu Holomisa has called on opposition parties to petition the Section 89 panel of experts looking into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm robbery saga to release its report publicly on November 30.
The move follows the panel’s request for a 13-day extension, allowing it to submit its report at the end of the month. National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula granted panel chairperson, retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, the request to allow the panel to do its work properly.
According to the terms given to the panel last month, the committee was expected to deliver its report yesterday, which was also Ramaphosa’s 70th birthday.
The extension has ruffled feathers among political parties and members of the public who wanted to know whether Ramaphosa had a prima facie case to answer or not.
Now, the main concern from opposition politicians is that Parliament was due to go into recess on December 1, meaning that the panel’s report was more likely to be tabled before Parliament in February next year.
The National Assembly programming committee meeting yesterday said a sitting would be arranged on December 6, where the Section 89 report would be considered. The report would also be distributed to members before the sitting.
The date is just 10 days before the ANC’s election conference in Nasrec is set to begin.
On Wednesday evening, Holomisa said on Twitter that the panel was correct to request more time if it felt it was not ready.
However, the UDM leader said there was a way for the public to know of the panel’s findings.
“The panel is telling us to give it 13 days. We have to give the benefit of the doubt to Justice Ngcobo as a former chief justice of this country. Surely, he would not allow himself to be associated with cover-ups or delay tactics. There must have been an issue related to administration.
“How I wish that, like then public protector Thuli Madonsela did in the Nkandla saga, when she finalised her report she handed it over to the relevant authorities but a few hours later she called a press conference and briefed the nation.
“This thing where the Speaker will be saying,‘I am applying my mind,’ that’s nonsense. What mind?” he said.
He said this meant that the panel could also make its findings public.
“The matter should be published on November 30 and let the public digest it. If the Speaker doesn’t want to table it before the closure of Parliament in early December, it is her own indaba.
“At least the public must know what has transpired and what steps must be taken.”
However, Holomisa said that, for that to happen, political parties should take urgent action.
“The best way to attend to this concern would be to petition the chairperson of the panel and the Speaker. That means all political parties in Parliament must write letters or petition them to do that.
“We have precedence from Thuli Madonsela. She did not wait for the president or the Speaker. She told the nation what were her findings and recommendations.”
Holomisa added that all other bodies tasked with investigating Phala Phala had failed.
“This is about accountability. President Ramaphosa, since the Limpopo conference, has confirmed that foreign currency money was stolen from his farm in Phala Phala. He even told the nation where this money comes from and for what purpose. He has, as far as he is concerned, accounted.
“The people who have failed to account to the nation are the investigators, such as the public protector, the police, the Hawks, and indeed the National Prosecuting Authority. This is after Arthur Fraser opened a case against the president on the burglary at Phala Phala,” he said.
“The ANC has also failed to pronounce whether they are happy or not that their deployee is permitted to keep foreign currency on his farm. Their so-called integrity commission has also failed dismally to account to the ANC. So, Cyril and the ANC are under trial,” Holomisa said.
Former Cope deputy president Mbhazima Shilowa said he agreed with Holomisa that the panel report should be released to the public.
“I really don’t understand why people insist on due parliamentary processes. These are extraordinary times. We need that report before the ANC conference,” said Shilowa.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe was not available for comment yesterday.
Pretoria News