Durban - The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has called on the Speaker of Parliament to find a date before the June 15, for President Cyril Ramaphosa to take the country into his confidence and explain the robbery of $4 million (R61m) at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo.
In the wake of the latest scandal involving Ramaphosa, which came to light after former spy boss Arthur Fraser opened charges against him for money laundering, corruption, failure to report a crime, and acting in contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act related to the theft of the large sum of money hidden in the farm, several political have called for Ramaphosa to step down.
In his letter to Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, ATM President Vuyo Zungula said that it was even more concerning that Ramaphosa did not deem it appropriate to report the matter to a specified officer of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) as required by the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
“This saga has already embarrassed the country and called into question the vigilance of Parliament in holding the executive to account.
The Speaker will remember that the Constitutional Court in the matter between the Public Protector and (former) president Jacob Zuma, admonished parliament for failing in its duty to hold the then president accountable on the Nkandla matter.
“The ATM is therefore appealing to the Speaker to reverse an earlier decision of the programming committee which had postponed the Q&A of the President for this quarter to the next quarter,” Zungula said.
He said as the president is required, by law, to appear before Parliament every quarter and he has not done so this quarter, the ATM was requesting and appealing that Mapisa-Nqakula finds a suitable date before 15 June, the last sitting of the current quarter, for Ramaphosa to take Parliament and South Africans into his confidence and explain “the matters alluded to by Mr Fraser”.
“The ATM is aware that this matter is being investigated by various authorities but has not reached court yet and thus not subjudice yet and Parliament would not be violating Rule 89 of the National Assembly,” Zungula said.
In a letter to national director of public prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi, Democracy In Action Chairperson Thabo Mtsweni said that with all the evidence and the confession from Ramaphosa that a burglary did take place at his game farm, she should immediately charge, investigate further and prosecute Ramaphosa and his co-accused Major-General Wally Rhoode.
“If anything, only a court of law can clear suspected criminals of any wrongdoing and not media briefings from Accused No1 (Ramaphosa).
“Failure to heed our call will leave us no option but to use other available avenues as provided for in law to make sure that both suspected criminals are prosecuted,” Mtsweni said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE