Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa. (Foto: Facebook/ Cyril Ramaphosa)
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) submitted an official report to the speaker of the National Assembly that pres. Cyril Ramaphosa’s head must roll after “serious constitutional concerns” about findings of the independent police investigation directorate (Opod) in his sensational Phala Phala report.
Vuyo Zungula, the parliamentary leader of the party, is asking that a process in terms of article 89 of the Constitution, read together with rules of the National Assembly, be started following what he describes as the “confluence of two critical and deeply disturbing developments that paint a worrying picture of executive misconduct at the highest state level”.
“This not only involves those who act on behalf of the president, but also creates serious and unavoidable questions about the president’s own actions, judgment and compliance with his constitutional duties.”
Zungela says the findings confirm that senior members of the police, including the head of the presidential protection unit, acted unlawfully.
“This includes the concealment of a crime, the misuse of state resources, the execution of illegal investigations and conduct that may amount to serious criminal offenses such as kidnapping, assault, torture and bribery.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Foto: Facebook /The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa)
Zungela says findings of the section 89 independent panel report, which was published in November 2022, stated that there is prima facie evidence that the president may have committed serious violations of the Constitution and the law. “These include violations of the executive code of ethics, failure to report a crime and actions that are essentially incompatible with his constitutional obligations.”
The Opod report therefore does not simply exist alongside the findings of the independent panel, (but) strengthens, corroborates and deepens them, he says. According to him, this shows that this was not an isolated error of judgement, but part of a broader pattern of actions where the state machinery was used to protect private interests connected to the president.