The meeting of the committee set up to consider the removal of Minister Cyril Ramaphosa from office, in the matter concerning the availability of US dollars, on his Phala Phala farm, will continue, despite the fact that he went to court to issue an urgent order to stop it.
This committee is expected to meet next Wednesday. Ramaphosa went to court on Friday, demanding that the committee stop working. Ramaphosa wants the report of the team led by Judge Sandile Ngcobo to be dismissed, which found that there may be laws he broke.
Ramaphosa wants his application to be heard, which is expected to go to court in September, before the committee continues. He also complained that his rights would be violated if the committee continues its work before a decision has been made on the request to dismiss Ngcobo’s report.
Parliament and the chairman of the parliamentary committee, Mr. Magashule Gana, have confirmed that they have received Ramaphosa’s papers and are still reading them.
“We have received Ramaphosa’s papers, the lawyers are still busy with them. We have planned to have a meeting on June 24,” said Gana.
The EFF, ATM groups said they went to court to oppose Ramaphosa’s urgent request to stop the committee’s work. Mr. Vuyo Zungula of ATM, said that nothing will stop the work of the parliamentary committee.
He said Ramaphosa has always said that he supports anti-corruption programs but now he seems to be doing something else. The EFF also said they want Ramaphosa to answer before the committee about Phala Phala.
Ms Lerato Ngobeni of ActionSA rejected Ramaphosa’s move, saying that the committee should continue its work.
“We stand by the fact that the committee must continue its work. It can stop if the court issues an order to stop it.”
Political analyst, Mr. Sandile Swana, was quoted as saying that he is not surprised by what Ramaphosa has done to demand the suspension of the committee. He said Parliament was following the court’s order to continue forming a committee to consider Ramaphosa’s removal from office.
“They are following the order of the Constitutional Court in the country that they must continue to form a committee. The committee exists and must continue its work,” said Swana.
A sum of $580 000, equivalent to R9.6 million in terms of rands, was obtained from this farm in Limpopo, in 2020. Part of it was tucked into the couch.