Cape Town – The Presidency has slammed the Democratic Alliance’s move to bring their case to the Pretoria High Court, seeking to invalidate the investigative panel’s findings regarding the Lady R’s docking in Simon’s Town in December 2022.
The DA took the matter to court, asserting that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of Retired Judge Phineas Mojapelo to lead the investigation into the Russian cargo ship’s docking was unconstitutional.
But the Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that the president acted legally in appointing Mojapelo Magwenya addressed the media and acknowledged the Democratic Alliance’s intention to challenge Mojapelo’s appointment.
Magwenya said that the decision to establish an independent panel, rather than a commission of inquiry, was made after careful consideration of the balance between the public’s right to information and the need to protect national security and international relations, as some information could jeopardize them.
Presidency Spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya says the DA’s action in challenging Judge Phineas Mojapelo is aimed at undermining the country’s national interest. This come after the DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach approached the court over the Lady R controversy. #DStv403 pic.twitter.com/kpDpkkbduH
— eNCA (@eNCA) September 27, 2023
He said that the president’s choice to appoint a judge to lead the panel was legal and should withstand scrutiny.
Magwenya criticised the DA’s legal action as politically motivated and suggested that it could harm the country’s national interests.
“President Ramaphosa acted within the law in doing so and we are confident that this appointment will withstand scrutiny.
“In its politically motivated court action, the DA wants to undermine the country’s national interests, failing to appreciate the importance of resolving this matter in a manner that is credible and expeditious.
“The DA is failing to appreciate the damage this issue has caused to our economy and potentially, to very important diplomatic relations, which are now repaired as a result of the level of credibility attached to the panel and its work, the outcome of the investigation and the intensive amount of diplomatic work that has been conducted to date and is still being managed,” Magwenya said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
