Tshwarelo Hunter Mogakane
Pretoria - President Cyril Ramaphosa has been accused of reversing the gains of South Africa’s constitutional democracy and interfering with the work of Parliament.
This follows his decision to review the Section 89 panel report on his Phala Phala farm robbery through direct access to the Constitutional Court.
The former chairperson of Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts, Themba Godi, and erstwhile former statistician-general Pali Lehohla said it was wrong for Ramaphosa to prevent Parliament from seeking answers from him.
Godi met this week with the central executive committee of his party, the African People’s Convention, where they discussed issues affecting South African society, including the Phala Phala farm case that has attracted international headlines, especially following the release of the report and Ramaphosa’s intention to challenge it.
“The committee correctly declared 2023 as The Year Of The Branch, meaning that our focus will be on building, strengthening and consolidating branches to fulfil the membership targets set for each province.
“The committee also reaffirmed the party’s commitment to intensify its campaign against the privatisation of Eskom, the firing of Pravin Gordhan, André de Ruyter, Jan Oberholzer, and the demand for reliable and affordable electricity for all,” said Godi.
He said South Africa should reject Ramaphosa’s commitment to the Just Energy Transition, which had seen South Africa get into debt to abandon coal while the same countries lending the nation money were importing its coal.
“This is a neo-colonial weapon for domination. We believe that energy sovereignty is the basis for national sovereignty. ANC leaders are benefiting from independent power producers at the expense of the country,” he said.
Godi said the best way for his party to position itself to bring change was to return to Parliament in 2024.
“The strategic goal of the party is to have a seat at the table, that is to return to Parliament to represent the Sobukwe tendency. We intend to contest all provinces, and win seats.
“The month of February 2023 will be dedicated to the memory and legacy of our great leader Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, whose birthday we celebrated on Monday,” Godi said.
The party said South Africans should accept that Ramaphosa was ‘not honest’.
“The committee noted with dismay the unfolding saga around the country’s president, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa. We have always maintained that President Ramaphosa is not honest, transparent or accountable.
“It is ludicrous to suggest that he will go to the Constitutional Court for a review of an opinion sought by Parliament to help it do its work. If he does so, he will be interfering in Parliament's work, which it is illegal to do. He continues to claim innocence, but let the man have his day before a parliamentary committee to clear his name,” Godi said.
In an interview with the SABC, Lehohla also condemned the review.
“The president should not take the report on review. Parliament must investigate the executive all the time, even when there is nothing suspected. Now that there is something suspected, it cannot be taken on review,” he said.
Lehohla added that two decades ago he was accused of stealing money and buying two properties with it.
“In 2002, I was said to have stolen money and brought properties. I hadn’t. When I got this document I passed it on to (former finance minister) Trevor Manuel and said, ‘here is something saying something about me.’
“I asked him a year later and said, ‘minister, what do we do about this because it is saying something about myself?’ He said I should go to (former Public Service Commission chairperson) Professor Stan Sangweni.
“I went to Professor Sangweni and said, ‘Professor Sangweni, here is a document. It says I have stolen, come investigate me.’
“As a public officer I should be investigated at all times. I knew there was no truth in it, but when there is suspicion I know I must be investigated,” Lehohla said.
ATM national executive member Mzwanele Manyi also questioned the constitutionality of Ramaphosa’s judicial review.
“Ramaphosa has invited the Constitutional Court to interfere in the preliminary processes of Parliament to dodge accountability following the S89 panel report.
“Will Zondo agree to undermine the sovereignty of Parliament by accepting this irregular invitation?” Manyi tweeted.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, was not available to comment on the matter.
Pretoria News