EFF statement on Ramaphosa’s decision not to challenge the Phala Phala report anymore

23 May 2023

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the decision by Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa to stop any further court challenges to the report of the Independent Panel appointed by Parliament in terms of Section 89 of the Constitution to investigate whether Mr.

Ramaphosa's conduct in relation to the Phala Phala scandal was impeachable.

The Panel, led by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, found that there was prima facie case of impeachment against Mr. Ramaphosa, and that Parliament ought to establish an impeachment committee to put all the allegations of misconduct against Ramaphosa to test.

The report of the Independent Panel raised serious concerns about the conduct of the President. The first of these was that the money stolen at the Phala Phala game farm owned by the president was potentially more than $580 000 allegedly from a Mr. Hazim for the sale of animals.

Secondly, the report found that there was a serious suspicion of money laundering in the manner of the transaction, because the money was never declared to the South African Reserve Bank, and that the Farm Manager did not know that there was such a large amount of money kept in the farm.

Further, the panel found that the President abused his powers to squash the investigation of the theft of these dollars, purportedly to hide his own involvement in the illicit dollars found in his farm.

All these warranted a parliamentary inquiry to establish whether or not Ramaphosa conducted himself in a manner outlined in Section 89(1) of the Constitution, which would warrant his impeachment.

The ruling party used its majority in parliament in December 2022 to squash this parliamentary process, alleging that the report was challenged in court by Ramaphosa, and that there were other State agencies investigating this matter. The SARB has since reported that the Dollars found at Ramaphosa's farm were never declared, and now Ramaphosa has aborted his ill-advised court challenges.

As it stands therefore, the report of the Independent Panel still stands, and it will remain an albatross around the President's neck until Parliament exercises its Constitutional powers by establishing the impeachment committee to hold Ramaphosa accountable.

The EFF will write to the Speaker again, urging her to reconsider the decision not to establish the impeachment committee, seeing that there are no further court challenges on the standing of the panel report. Failure by the Speaker to reconsider the need to table the report for a decision by Parliament against would constitute a serious abdication of duty by Parliament, and this decision would be reviewable in court.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 23 May 2023