The ANC National Executive Committee special meeting was surprisingly adjourned after it had started to allow the National Working Committee to review the Phala Phala report.
The party met on Friday at Nasrec, Johannesburg after the Section 89 panel, chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo found that President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer on impeachable offenses.
At the press briefing after the adjournment national treasurer Paul Mashatile said Ramaphosa is still deciding whether to step down or not.
“The president is not in the meeting. He’s busy consulting as far as we are concerned. The issue of the president putting his intention to resign or not, did not arise only now. The officials are going to the meeting probably by tomorrow if he’s back from Cape Town,” he said.
Mashatile promised there will be a way forward before Parliament starts dealing with the matter.
“Out of this meeting, we will go and meet as officials, get that report from Parliament with all the details…before Monday.”
The National Assembly will on Tuesday vote whether to subject the president to an impeachment inquiry based on the findings of the panel.
Said Mashatile: “The reason we called this meeting, we decided that the NEC of the ANC should also be given the report of Parliament. However, the NEC decided that they would like that report to go to the officials of the ANC first, convene NWC, and then convene the NEC before December 6,” he said.
Earlier the party responded to businessman and ANC stalwart James Motlatsi that Ramaphosa shouldn’t be told by “criminals to leave”.
“The African National Congress is shocked at the remarks made by businessman James Motlatsi on Radio 702 this morning Friday, 2nd December 2022 that President Cryil Ramaphosa can’t be told by criminals to leave.
“While the ANC holds no right or authority to dictate personal relations it is insensitive and rather disappointing that someone of his statue can make such reckless insinuations at a time when the movement and the country are faced with a dilemma emanating from the parliamentary Section 89 report on the Phala Phala saga,” said the statement.
It further said that he should withdraw his comments because they are divisive.
“We call on Mr. Motlatsi who is also a veteran activist to consider withdrawing his unfortunate divisive remarks which are harmful and hurting to our movement. The same goes to others who may be tempted to engage in such public spat.”
