President Ramaphosa Would Step Aside If Adverse Findings Are Made Against Him in Phala Phala Scandal
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has said that President Cyril Ramaphosa would not cling to power if adverse findings were made against him in the ongoing multiple investigations into the Phala Phala farm scandal.
Mbalula made the remarks during a press conference at Luthuli House on Thursday. According to the ANC veteran, the ANC would not be short of an alternative to represent the governing party in the 2024 general elections if Ramaphosa had to step aside. He added that Ramaphosa had never clung to power and had always been willing to step aside if necessary.
The Phala Phala farm scandal refers to the theft of millions of dollars in cash from Ramaphosa’s game farm in Limpopo in 2020. Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing, but the scandal has led to calls for his resignation. In March, Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka cleared Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing in a preliminary report. However, the full report has yet to be published.
In order to ensure the integrity of the investigation against President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mbalula also announced that the ANC would allow all of the ongoing investigations into the Phala Phala scandal to come to their finality before making any decisions about Ramaphosa’s future. The ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is due to meet next week to discuss the Phala Phala scandal. It is expected that the NEC will make a decision about Ramaphosa’s future at that meeting.
