Today Parliament voted against the adoption of the Section 89 Independent Panel Report which found that President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer regarding the Phala Phala farm robbery where it is alleged thieves got away with an undeclared sum of $580 000 they found stashed in his furniture.
The report was meant to set the tone for an impeachment process by parliamentarians and today they voted 241 to 148 against the motion to start the process.
Earlier last week the ANC, which has the majority in Parliament, had taken a decision not to stand with the opposition but to support Ramaphosa and vote against the impeachment process.
Earlier the ANC NEC advised Ramaphosa to take the Panel Report on review and ordered all its members to not support the motion against its president saying that those who voted with the opposition would face disciplinary action.
Only three ANC members voted for the motion in support of the impeachment of Ramaphosa and those were Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Supra Mahumapelo and Mosebenzi Zwane.
Presidential hopefuls, Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Zweli Mkhize were expected to vote with the opposition, but they were absent from parliament.
The vote comes a day after the National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula declined the ATM’s second application to allow a secret ballot after some members of parliament allegedly received threats before voting began.
Parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the speaker using her powers as enjoined by the NA rules, has a right to exercise her discretion in determining the voting method to be employed when deciding on questions before the house.
Failure of the motion to start the impeachment process against Ramaphosa clears the way for the president – the leading candidate nominated by branches – to be re-elected at the ANC National Elective Conference starting on Thursday until Monday in Nasrec, Joburg.