The DA is adamant that it will not be deterred from holding President Cyril Ramaphosa accountable for the Phala Phala scandal despite their partnership with the ANC in the government of national unity (GNU), says the party’s second deputy federal chairperson, Solly Malatsi.
Malatsi, also the minister of communications, explained that the party would continue providing oversight in parliament and would not tolerate any wrongdoing.
“We are not going to relegate our parliamentary oversight on any matter of national importance simply because we are in government.”
He referred to the recent row in the GNU over Ramaphosa’s utterances that the country was Russia’s ally, saying it showed the DA was standing its ground on policy matters.
The DA last month distanced itself from Ramaphosa’s comment.
“You saw how strongly we stood on the issue of Russia because we have a different policy position from the ANC. That is what we will continue to do; there is nothing extraordinary, even though the ANC wants to scandalise that. Part of what we are committed to exercising is accountability.”
Last month, the NPA decided not to prosecute anyone in the case involving Ramaphosa due to insufficient evidence. The case stemmed from a theft report by former spy boss Arthur Fraser in June 2022. However, the Constitutional Court will consider applications to revive an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa on November 26.
Regarding federal council chair Helen Zille’s comments that business interests wanted the DA to protect Ramaphosa against parties like the EFF, Malatsi countered that Zille’s comments are often exaggerated.
“I think there is often an obsession with weaponising whatever Helen Zille says to then say, ‘this is the only perspective’. In all the discussions I was part of at the federal executive, our approach to the discussions was about what the country needs and the general sense was that it needed stability.
“Of course, there are external consultations that negotiators would have had but that is not limited to business. It was also extended to civil society and other sectors,” he explained.
He then pushed back on the idea that the ANC is leading the GNU, emphasising that the formation is a partnership.
“There must be sufficient consensus on matters and the GNU statement of intent outlines what that means. Often, the ANC wants to take the posture that they are the bigger party within the GNU, therefore their wishes must always prevail because as an act of political generosity they invited everyone to join the GNU, and we should be grateful that we were invited,” Malatsi said.
