The South African National Christians Forum (SANCF) has called on the ANC to apologise for using its parliamentary majority to protect President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the Phala Phala farm scandal.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
The ANC has been requested to issue a public apology for misusing the parliamentary majority to shield President Cyril Ramaphosa from a potential impeachment inquiry regarding the Phala Phala farm scandal in 2022.
The South African National Forum (SANCF) wrote to the ANC, asking the party to offer an unreserved public apology forusing a parliamentary majority to block accountability in the Phala Phala matter, saying it supports the 'revived impeachment inquiry without interference'.
This comes after the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) on Friday set aside the 2022 National Assembly vote that was used by the ANC majority to reject the Section 89 Independent Panel report.
The court ruled that Parliament acted unlawfully in 2022 by voting to reject a report recommending an impeachment inquiry into Ramaphosa over the theft at the Phala Phala farm.
The court ordered the matter to be referred to an impeachment committee.
This judgment follows a legal challenge initiated by opposition parties, including the EFF and ATM, after Parliament declined to adopt the panel’s report.
The judgment completely resets the political landscape ahead of the upcoming local government elections in November, forcing Parliament to establish an impeachment committee to hold public hearings.
SANCF president Bishop Marothi Mashashane, in a letter issued to the ANC’s leadership, including the National Executive Committee (NEC), said that by 'admitting that the organisation placed the interests of an individual (Ramaphosa) above the Constitution, the ANC will begin to dismantle the wall of resentment between the movement and the masses'.
Mashashane added that the party must also demonstrate that its loyalty is with the citizens and the rule of law, instead of preservation of power “at all costs”.
“The survival of your organisation depends on whether you choose to 'climb down' from the heights of pride to the level of the people. If the President or the leadership continues to prioritise self-preservation over the integrity of the state, the moral authority to lead will be lost forever, said Mashashane, who called on the party to consider what is best for the country.
Meanwhile, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri confirmed receipt of the letter, adding that the forum has a constitutional right to express its views and participate in public discourse on matters affecting the country.
“We respect the right of organisations and citizens to hold and communicate differing opinions within the framework of our constitutional democracy,” she said.
In a statement issued shortly after the judgment, the ANC said it will support Parliament Speaker Thoko Didiza and the National Assembly in ensuring compliance with the judgment and applicable parliamentary rules.
The Phala Phala saga became public in June 2022, when Arthur Fraser, the former Director-General of the State Security Agency (SSA), filed a formal criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, alleging that approximately $4 million (later contested by the president as $580,000) was stolen from the farm in February 2020. He alleged that the crime was covered up, and suspects were allegedly kidnapped and interrogated on the property to recover the funds, then paid for their silence.
In November 2022, the Section 89 Independent Panel report concluded that there was prima facie evidence indicating Ramaphosa may have committed serious misconduct and violated both the Constitution and anti-corruption laws regarding the burglary at his farm.
The panel found evidence suggesting the president may have abused his power by utilising state resources, specifically the head of the Presidential Protection Unit, to conduct a covert investigation to recover the stolen currency.
However, Parliament voted to reject the report in December 2022.
Mashashane, in the letter, added that the ANC broke the covenant with the poor and the marginalised people who look to the state for justice after using the majority vote to “cover up” for Ramaphosa.
“We pray that you find the courage of the liberation heroes who founded this movement, men and women who were willing to sacrifice everything for the truth. May you have the strength to put the ANC of today through the ‘refiner’s fire’ so that it may emerge as a servant of the people once more.”
Corruption Watch also hailed the judgment, noting it addresses a historical “lack of transparency” and blocks the ANC from using its parliamentary majority as a political shield.