PHUTI MOSOMANE
ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, says the party’s Top Seven officials held a “robust and cordial” meeting with former President Thabo Mbeki after he wrote a scathing letter criticizing the party’s handling of the Phala Phala controversy.
In his letter, Mbeki criticised several moves by the ANC to thwart attempts by Parliament to deal with the Phala Phala farm scandal, which has dogged President Cyril Ramaphosa, since former spy boss, Arthur Fraser, laid charges against him in June 2022.
“The meeting reflected on the content of former President Thabo Mbeki’s letter in a comradely and collegial spirit. The discussion was framed around organisational renewal and unity of the ANC,” said Mbalula in a statement.
“The national officials reaffirmed the ANC’s commitment to organisational renewal as well as the advisory role of the elders as champions and ambassadors of the renewal agenda.”
Commenting on outcome of the meeting and its details, Mbalula said the meeting was “unanimous in its appreciation of the urgency to renew the ANC.”
Mbalula’s statement said nothing about the matter of the theft of $580 000 stolen at the Phala Phala farm of President Cyril Ramaphosa, which was the basis of Mbeki’s letter.
“To this end, former President Mbeki underscored his strong support for the renewal and unity of the ANC,” he added.
The meeting discussed “matter of constitutional democracy and parliamentary sovereignty and how these need to be managed.”
It is the considered view of the ANC that when these three arms of the state work in step with one another, any matter of national interest gets to be fully ventilated”.
“Following a cordial and robust engagement with our former President, the ANC will continue to draw on the well wisdom of its elders whenever the need arises,” Mbalula added.
The Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba used Saturday night service over the past Easter weekend to urge Ramaphosa to come clean on “what really happened at the Phala Phala farm”.
Makgoba said it was important for elected leaders to be transparent and fight corruption.
“On the investigation arising from the theft of money from the President’s Phala Phala farm. The president still hasn’t explained satisfactorily why such a large amount of money wasn’t banked,” he said.
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