By Marcus Moloko
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have sharpened their stance on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal, insisting that Parliament must now establish an impeachment committee to deal with the matter.
Speaking ahead of the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Friday, EFF Secretary General Marshall Dlamini said the case has reached a critical point.
“No, he’s got no choice. He must not say he will respect it. He’s got no choice. All of us will respect the institutions of this country. It’s not even about his choice,” Dlamini told reporters.
He said once the court delivers its judgment, Parliament must act decisively.
“What we’ll do is go to Parliament. Parliament will have to establish the committee and then that committee will have to do its work to follow up on the report that came from the panel and to do the necessary investigations. What is good is that it will be done in front of the people of South Africa and he will have a chance to respond himself in Parliament.”
Dlamini argued that Ramaphosa cannot continue to “hide behind the judiciary” and must face his colleagues in Parliament. He pointed to unresolved questions around the President’s explanation that the stolen dollars were proceeds from buffalo sales.
“He has never told us where those buffaloes are because the person who was supposed to have bought them never picked them up. Two years later, he has never even said, ‘by the way, those buffaloes were collected.’ It was a lie,” Dlamini maintained.
The EFF maintains that the Section 89 independent panel report, which found prima facie evidence of misconduct, should have triggered a full impeachment inquiry. In December 2022, however, the ANC majority in the National Assembly voted against adopting the report, effectively shielding Ramaphosa.
The Constitutional Court will now decide whether Parliament acted unlawfully by rejecting the panel’s findings.
Dlamini said the EFF expects a sober ruling that will reaffirm Parliament’s constitutional duty.
“If there is no case, that committee will come to that conclusion, and Parliament will come to that conclusion. Then he can proceed with his job. But as things stand, things are looking very bad for him,” he added.
The Phala Phala matter stems from a February 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo, where approximately $580,000 in cash was stolen from a sofa.
Former spy chief Arthur Fraser accused the President of money laundering, kidnapping, and abusing state resources to cover up the crime. Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing, insisting the money was legitimate proceeds from cattle sales.
