Phala Phala saga: Opposition parties want Cyril Ramaphosa’s impeachment process to start on Tuesday

Cape Town – Opposition parties reportedly want the impeachment process of President Cyril Ramaphosa to begin on Tuesday, when Parliament is expected to convene.

Several political parties have called for Ramaphosa to resign as the country’s president following damning findings by an independent panel investigating the Phala Phala farm saga.

In June, it emerged that an estimated $$580 000 in cash was stolen from Ramaphosa’s game farm in 2020, raising questions about how the billionaire president acquired the money and whether he declared it.

EWN reported that the Forum of all Opposition Political Parties, which consists of 10 opposition parties, planned to table a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa when the National Assembly sat on Tuesday.

The forum included the Democratic Alliance, the Economic Freedom Fighters and the Inkatha Freedom Front.

According to The Citizen, the parties agreed during a meeting held in Ekurhuleni on Friday that the panel’s findings provided enough evidence for Parliament to move to impeach Ramaphosa.

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“This finding by the Independent Panel is what the rules of Parliament require for the Impeachment Committee to be set up,

“The sitting on the 6th of December must ensure that indeed a resolution to set up the Impeachment Committee is taken,” the report quoted the forum as saying.

In a joint statement the parties said voting against Section 89 Independent panel’s recommendations would be a violation of Parliament’s constitutional obligation to hold the executive accountable, the report said.

The ruling party was also set to resume talks on Monday on Ramaphosa’s future, who is embroiled in a scandal that has put his presidency at risk.

The African National Congress (ANC) initially said on Saturday it would hold a “special session of its National Executive Committee” on Sunday. It then said the meeting had been postponed to Monday morning.

However, the president’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya was adamant that the president had no intention of resigning and will fight both politically and judicially.

“President Ramaphosa is not resigning based on a flawed report, neither is he stepping aside,” Magwenya said.

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