Phala Phala: Opposition parties picket at public protector’s office

The picket comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s previous appearance in the National Assembly descended into chaos after opposition parties accused the president of failing to answer questions on the saga.

The president has been under pressure to explain the theft of a large amount of foreign currency from his farm in Limpopo in 2020.

Hundreds of opposition party supporters gathered at an open field opposite the Loftus Versveld stadium.

Also present at the march was ANC member Carl Niehaus, Themba Godi from the African People’s Convention and spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, Mzwanele Manyi.

The march came as Ramaphosa was given another extension by the South African Reserve Bank to respond to questions posed to him regarding the 2020 robbery at his Limpopo farm.

In June former spy boss Arthur Fraser opened a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, accusing him of kidnapping, bribery, money laundering, and concealing a crime following the theft of a large amount of foreign currency from his private property.  

The EFF’s spokesperson Sinawo Tambo has rubbished the president’s assertions that he is willing to cooperate with the probe.

"The Reserve Bank has given him a third extension after 79 days. If the public protector is unable to release the report after 90 days, if Parliament has to call him back to its sitting to answer the questions it took him three hours to avoid through the protection of his caucus and the speaker, it means there is no institution he is accounted to.

“The South African Revenue Service is not saying anything regarding this, so which institution is Ramaphosa answering to? Because he keeps saying he is subjecting himself to investigations. He is even disrespecting his own party processes in terms of the integrity commission, he is refusing to answer anyone.

“So there is no institution he is answering to, he is lying to us, he is delaying. I don't know whether he thinks it his tactics to her his second term without any cloud laying over his head, or he think South Africans are stupid enough to forget about it, but we are not going to and we are here today to register that fact," said Tambo.

Tambo said the march is meant to bolster ongoing efforts to hold the president and his administration to account.

He said the EFF respects the DA’s decision not to participate in the march.