ANC appeals to NEC members to remain mum on Phala Phala

The special NEC meeting convened by acting secretary-general Paul Mashatile to discuss the party’s position on the section 89 report, which found the president has a case to answer over his conduct during and after the robbery at his farm, ended abruptly on Friday.

Mashatile said the NEC had decided to allow its top officials and the national working committee to process the report.

However as the NEC members left the venue, some offered their opinion on the implications of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s rumoured exit.

Mabe did not approve.

“It’s important that during this time we appeal to members of the national executive committee, those that are leading structures of the ANC at this apex level, to refrain from making public statements when the secretary-general office, led by the treasurer general Paul Mashatile, has spoken. The message of the ANC must be one,” he said.

“There is no member of the ANC that supports President Ramaphosa better than the other. President Ramaphosa is still very much the president of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa is still also very much the president of the country. There is, therefore, no member of the NEC who must feel pressured to speak too much about their support or about the president having to step aside,” Mabe added.

Meanwhile, ANC KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo told journalists President Ramaphosa should “do the right thing” and not allow the Phala Phala saga to drag on until 2024.

“ANC can’t afford to go [into elections] with this thing either fought in court, or fought in Parliament. It can’t afford that.”

The NEC meeting was adjourned on Friday to allow the party’s national working committee to deliberate on the independent parliamentary panel’s report which found there is prima facie evidence the president may have violated constitution and broken the country’s crime- prevention laws during and after the theft of millions from his Limpopo farm

The ANC in KZN is not in favour of the party’s step aside rule - and Mtolo says their stance does not change now that its Ramaphosa who could fall foul of the rule.

“Some of us are principled. We are not going to say because it’s Ramaphosa we believe in the step aside. You know the position of KZN, we don’t believe in the step aside,” Mtolo added.

The NEC is expected to reconvene by Sunday with Mtolo assuring South Africans that the party will announce its position by Monday.

On Friday Mashatile that while the president is said to have been considering his options and consulting his allies and advisors on the matter  - by Friday afternoon he had not spoken to his party.

The clock is ticking for Ramaphosa and the party with Members of the National Assembly set to discuss the report on Tuesday.