Ramaphosa must do the right thing and step aside – Joburg ANC

The ANC in Johannesburg says President Cyril Ramaphosa must step aside following the Phala Phala scandal.

Johannesburg ANC regional secretary Sasabona Manganye said the branches nominated Ramaphosa for a second term as much as they were concerned about the Phala Phala saga.

“The fact that it has reached this stage, the ANC is very clear in its resolutions…We have been in this situation before with president Jacob Zuma and the ANC failed to hold him accountable and it cost the organisation dearly.

“President Ramaphosa is not immune to the NEC guidelines on the step-aside resolution introduced in February. He is the champion of moral regeneration within the ANC, he should subject himself to those guidelines.

“As much as we might have preferred that he serves for the second time… in this regard, we have no moral ground to want to say that the president must be allowed to serve the second term under this kind of cloud hanging over his head. He must do the right thing and step aside,” Manganye said.

Other ANC regions could not pronounce on their stance after the report of the panel of judges.

Chairperson of the  OR Tambo region in the Eastern Cape, Mesuli Ngqondwana, said the region endorsed Ramaphosa to get a second a term but could not state its stance at the moment.

“We are awaiting the NEC to sit to give guidance. We cannot be announcing positions without awaiting the NEC to pronounce itself on the matter.”

Regional secretary of the John Taolo Gaetseswe region in Northern Cape, Eugene Khokhong, said at the conference, the regions wanted Ramaphosa to get a second term.

“The nomination process has closed and the position of the branches still remains. Of course some of the branches have started asking the leadership as to what is the way forward but those are few. The majority of branches still stand behind the president. The findings of the panel says he may have a case to answer. He has not been charged and there has not been a pronouncement of guilt on him,” Khokhong said.

On Wednesday, retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo handed over the report of a three-judges panel which investigated whether Ramaphosa has a case to answer on the Phala Phala scandal. The judges found that Ramaphosa has a case to answer and now parliament will  have to take a decision on the matter next week.

The NEC was expected to meet last night to discuss these developments.

KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said everyone had to wait for the NEC.

“What branches of KZN said will not change…The issue of the panel will be discussed by the ANC today… It is a national issue and not the issue of regions. Let the NEC speak on this issue not the regions,” Mtolo said.

KwaZulu-Natal supported Zweli Mkhize for the position of president at the up-coming conference.

Mpumalanga provincial secretary Muzi Chirwa said they had not changed their position as no decision had been taken by the structure on the recent developments.

“We are studying the report and we shall pronounce ourselves and for now we haven't met as the PEC to discuss the report. You must remember that the report is still going to be discussed in parliament and we shall also await the president’s response in that but as of now our tune has not changed. As we are going to our provincial general council maybe such will come up but there are more processes to be done about the report, then we can't say much or change tune now," said Chirwa. 

dlaminip@sowetan.co.za