ALA is recruiting members of the Parliamentary committee that is considering the removal of President Cyril Ramaphosa, due to the discovery of a lot of US dollars, on his farm in Limpopo, as he says that even if he comes with a team of lawyers, he will be the one to speak.
These members also said that the door is left for Ramaphosa to choose to appear or not appear before this committee. He wants to appear on his own can be used with a technical system.
“We want him to appear on his own, he should not choose to come or not. If he comes with lawyers, he should sit back and not talk to them but answer the questions himself. If he wants to communicate with them, he will be given the opportunity to talk to them and advise him on certain things and he will come back to answer,” said EFF leader Julius Malema, at the committee meeting yesterday.
Some members said that he must answer all the members’ questions because he always said that he wanted to clear his name with the things that happened in Phala Phala in 2020.
Dr John Hlophe of the MKP party said there are questions that only Ramaphosa can answer about what happened on his farm.
“Ramaphosa cannot avoid answering questions because there are things that must be answered only by him. He knows that he must answer to the public about what happened. If he refuses to answer questions, he has legal action against them,” said Hlophe.
Mr. Fadiel Adams of the NCC said: “Ramaphosa is a resident of this country. We cannot be fair if he does not come to answer before the committee.”
Mr. Vuyo Zungula of ATM, said that Ramaphosa should not be given the opportunity to choose whether to appear or not.
“We want him here. He should not be allowed to choose whether or not to come before the committee. He must answer.”
Mrs. Sueanne Isaac, a legal adviser in Parliament, said that Ramaphosa will be represented by legal advisers but they will not be the ones who will be answering questions.
“Questions will be answered by Ramaphosa himself and not by a team of lawyers,” he said.
The chairman of the committee, Mr. Makashule Gana, said that the members have the opportunity to submit their views on the temporary plan that will be followed when the Phala Phala hearings begin.
“It is up to you to express your opinions about things you agree with and those you reject.”
Committee members have been given until July 10, to submit their comments. The members then went up and fell on the Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Thoko Didiza for not opposing Ramaphosa’s urgent request to stop the work of this committee.
Mrs. Didiza submitted a letter stating the distance traveled in establishing this committee but decided not to oppose Ramaphosa’s request. Malema said they were disappointed with what Mrs. Didiza did, because the committee urged her to support him in opposing the request.
He thanked Gana for following the committee’s order to oppose Ramaphosa’s request to stop the committee’s work. Members of the ANC defended Mrs. Didiza and said that she also took action not to oppose the request because she did not want to be seen as taking sides in this matter.