Ramaphosa, who is under pressure to “come clean” and “step aside” while being investigated for alleged complicity in and covering up a 2020 robbery at his farm, was scheduled to meet the ANC’s two chief whips in parliament, Pemmy Majodina and Seiso Mohai, chairs responsible for committees and oversight in the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, and ANC chairs of the economic cluster committees from both houses.
The meeting was scheduled for 11am-1pm on Tuesday in Genadendal, the president’s official residence in Cape Town, but it was cancelled at the last minute and after some MPs had flown in from across the country.
“We have just received notification that the president has been unavoidably detained in Gauteng and will be unable to meet chairpersons as requested,” read a text from Bukelwa Ntantiso, an administrator in Majodina’s office. “To those who travelled to Cape Town specially for the meeting, sincere apologies are extended.”
'Unavoidably detained' Ramaphosa ditches meeting with senior ANC MPs
President Cyril Ramaphosa pulled out of a meeting with senior ANC MPs on Tuesday morning because he was “unavoidably detained” in Gauteng, according to the ANC.
Ramaphosa, who is under pressure to “come clean” and “step aside” while being investigated for alleged complicity in and covering up a 2020 robbery at his farm, was scheduled to meet the ANC’s two chief whips in parliament, Pemmy Majodina and Seiso Mohai, chairs responsible for committees and oversight in the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, and ANC chairs of the economic cluster committees from both houses.
The meeting was scheduled for 11am-1pm on Tuesday in Genadendal, the president’s official residence in Cape Town, but it was cancelled at the last minute and after some MPs had flown in from across the country.
“We have just received notification that the president has been unavoidably detained in Gauteng and will be unable to meet chairpersons as requested,” read a text from Bukelwa Ntantiso, an administrator in Majodina’s office. “To those who travelled to Cape Town specially for the meeting, sincere apologies are extended.”
The MPs were advised to proceed and attend respective meetings and sittings of the two houses scheduled for Tuesday.
“Once again, sincere apologies are extended for circumstances beyond anyone's control,” said Ntantiso.
TimesLIVE has seen a memorandum dated June 3 from Majodina's office informing ANC MPs of the invitation to a meeting with Ramaphosa “to further strengthen the working relations between the executive and parliament”.
Ramaphosa is scheduled to table the presidency's budget vote on Thursday.
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