Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa should not be allowed inside the venue of the 55th ANC National Conference, set for Nasrec from December 16–18, 2022.
These are the assertions made by the spokesperson of the disbanded Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA), Carl Niehaus, following damning findings against Ramaphosa by the Section 89 independent panel.
In light of the findings of the Section 89 inquiry led by retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, which found that President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer on the stolen and hidden dollars at his Phala Phala farm in 2020, the outspoken Niehaus has called for Ramaphosa to be prevented from taking part in the upcoming 55th ANC conference, adding that Ramaphosa had, through the step aside rule, targeted his enemies and should thus have a taste of his own medicine.
Ramaphosa is challenging Dr Zweli Mkhize for the position of ANC president.
Last week, Lindiwe Sisulu, who was also challenging for the same position, was found to not have received enough nominations to be part of the candidates, leaving Ramaphosa and Mkhize as the only candidates. Sisulu has since called for raw data to be provided to her so she can study it in full, as she believed she had enough numbers to challenge Ramaphosa and Mkhize.
Niehaus has reacted to the Section 89 independent panel’s findings, which found that President Cyril Ramaphosa has a prima facie case to answer on the Phala Phala farm matter.
Niehaus, who has been vocal about Ramaphosa’s failures and his role in purging those he disagrees with, said ahead of the 55th ANC National Conference in two weeks’ time that Ramaphosa should not be allowed to stand for his second term bid.
"He can’t be eligible to stand for election at the national conference. He has been found to have a prima facie case to answer. He has to be charged in a court of law. At the moment, even in terms of a rewritten, reformulated stepping aside resolution that Ramaphosa and his own supporters wrote, not in the way that the resolution of the 54th national conference was," he said.
Many in the ANC, especially those who belong to the RET faction, have decried the inconsistent application of the step-aside resolution. Some of the people who have publicly complained about the misuse of the resolution include Sisulu and another presidential hopeful, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, who have accused Ramaphosa of using this resolution as a tool to purge his foes and those who belong to the RET faction.
"They wrote it (the step aside rule) specifically to target people like the secretary general of the ANC, comrade Ace Magashule. He (Ramaphosa) has to face the consequences of the grave that he had dug for others. He is going to fall into it. He cannot escape the situation. So, he can’t be a delegate at the conference, and most certainly, he can’t even be a candidate for the presidency or any position in the NEC of the ANC. In fact, Cyril Ramaphosa should not be allowed to enter the door of the conference venue for the 55th ANC National Conference," Niehaus said.
Niehaus said other people had been prevented from attending ANC gatherings on flimsy charges in the past. He said these charges against Ramaphosa are grounds enough to prevent him from taking part in the upcoming conference.
The Star