As pressure piles up on President Cyril Ramaphosa to come clean on the Phala Phala scandal, the country’s number-one citizen has denied that he is hiding behind investigation processes to avoid accountability.
Ramaphosa’s question-and-answer session in parliament on Tuesday was delayed by over an hour as opposition MPs demanded answers on the theft that took place at his Phala Phala farm in February 2020, during which former spy boss Arthur Fraser alleged that $4-million (R68-million) was stolen.
MPs also took issue with the president answering the questions virtually instead of being present in the National Assembly.
On Wednesday, Ramaphosa said he noted with concern claims that he avoided answering questions related to his Phala Phala farm theft.
At one point, the president was asked on Tuesday “whether … he considered it prudent to take the nation into his confidence on the serious allegations surrounding his Phala Phala farm by accounting to the people of South Africa and speaking on the specified issue in the National Assembly”.
Ramaphosa insisted that he had been advised to allow due process to take place before taking the nation into his confidence.
His spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said: “The president responded that he stands ready to take the nation into his confidence and that he would do so through the due legal and parliamentary processes.
“He indicated that he has responded, and will continue to respond, to all the questions that have been put to him by the relevant authorities.”
Magwenya added: “He also indicated that he would cooperate with, and be fully accountable to, the Section 89 process that parliament has initiated. It is clear from the president’s reply that he considers it prudent to account on this matter through the due processes.”
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