With the ANC facing a leadership crisis following the release of a damning report on the Phala Phala farm scandal, that its President Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated the Constitution and anti-corruption laws, the party spokesperson refused to answer questions from the media on the matter.
Ramaphosa went under the radar while political parties were baying for his blood after the Section 89 Parliamentary Panel headed by retired Judge Sandile Ngcobo, found that there was a prima facie case against the president.
At a press briefing party spokesperson Pule Mabe refused to entertain any questions posed by journalists on the Phala-Phala matter.
“No no no, can you give someone the mic,” responding to questions from a journalist who was asking about the Phala Phala report,” while denying that his refusal to answer questions was tantamount to censorship.
“In future as we invite you to our pressers, please follow our protocol. We are going to have a press conference (on Phala Phala), Allow the NEC to process these issues. The Phala Phala matter is out there in public, please, Ramaphosa could resign today while the ANC NEC meeting will take place tomorrow in Nasrec”.
Meanwhile ANC electoral committee chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe said the party had applied its 50 percent gender parity rule in the nomination for the 55th Elective Conference set to begin in 15 days.
With only two women nominated for the top six Motlanthe said there is still resistance from branches to nominate women.
“We did say in the rules that members should try to give effect to 50/50 gender parity in the nominations in the top six but clear;y that message hasn’t been taken home,” he said.
Currently, the only women nominated to serve in the top six, Nomvula Mokonyane and Febe Potgieter are pitted against each other in the contest for the Deputy Secretary General post.
