Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa has reneged on an address to the nation that he had promised on Thursday. Ramaphosa was expected to address the nation on the back of the Section 89 independent panel report, which was released to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Wednesday.
The report found that Ramaphosa violated the Constitution and his oath of office when he concealed a crime at his Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
Ramaphosa, who was expected to address the nation on Thursday night after the Section 89 panel’s findings revealed that the president has a prima facie case to answer to on the Phala Phala matter, has since cancelled this engagement.
His spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told members of the media that the president was consulting widely and thus could not address the nation as expected.
“(With) the level of public interest on the matter concerning the Section 89 independent panel report which the president, since its release on Wednesday, has been processing and mulling over, there was an impression created due to heightened expectation and public indication that an announcement was imminent. I did not provide any specific timelines. However, we appreciate and understand how the expectation of an address to the nation would rise because of the high levels of interest in the matter. The president appreciates the urgency of this issue and enormity of this issue and what it means for the country and the stability of the government, and as a result, he is still processing the reports. He is also engaging other parties and stakeholders at different levels of the governing party and at different levels of the alliance. We are at an unprecedented moment in our democracy, and as a result of the report, whatever decision the president makes, that decision has to be informed for the best interests of the country, and that decision cannot be rushed and cannot be taken in haste,” he said.
In the meantime, political parties continued to call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign or face an impeachment process against him. Members of the opposition are expected to debate this matter in Parliament on Tuesday, should Ramaphosa not voluntarily resign.
ATM leader Vuyo Zungula told the SABC that Ramaphosa has no choice but to resign immediately.
"President Cyril Ramaphosa must resign, and if he does not, we are going to impeach him on Tuesday. We have requested that the speaker to allow the vote to be by secret ballot. This is in defence of our Constitution. We are going to push the speaker to ensure that this happens,“ Zugula said on Thursday.
Many other political parties have stated that they expect Ramaphosa to resign rather than face the embarrassment of being impeached in Parliament on December 6.
“He must just resign. Over and above the impeachment process, we are going to move (for) a vote of no confidence because we can’t allow a person who has been found by a competent and independent panel to have seriously violated the Constitution and committed serious acts of misconduct to remain in office. As long as he is in power, he is going to influence the investigations. He is going through the entire process. So, the best thing for the country now is Mr Ramaphosa having to step down and not being in office,” Zungula said.
The DA has called for an early election should Ramaphosa be removed before his term comes to an end this month at the ANC national elective conference in Nasrec.
Steenhuisen says South Africans must be allowed to vote for the next leader as soon as possible.
“The Democratic Alliance calls for a national election, not one involving 4 000 delegates at an ANC conference, but one that gives all South Africans the opportunity to determine their future – a future free of corruption, a future with jobs, a future for our children. So together let’s take power away from the ANC and let’s give it back to the people of South Africa.”
Steenhuisen says a motion to this effect will be submitted to the National Assembly speaker within the coming days.
Mkhuleko Hlengwa of the IFP commended the Section 89 panel led by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo.
“The IFP will vote in support of the impeachment process against Ramaphosa. We believe there is prima facie evidence against him. We believe he must present himself before this process, and the Parliament must run its full course until he is removed through Parliament next Tuesday,” Hlengwa said.
According to Zwelinzima Vavi, the founding general secretary of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), Ramaphosa must resign to save his dignity.
“He misled the country by selling ankoles and buffaloes at his farm, and as such, he must resign and save himself the embarrassment of being removed through an impeachment process,” Vavi said.
The Star