The Matsila Royal House has thrown its weight behind President Cyril Ramaphosa following last week’s Constitutional Court ruling on the long-running Phala Phala saga, describing the president as “law-abiding”, “transparent”, and committed to constitutional supremacy.
The Matsila becomes the first royal house to publicly throw its weight behind the embattled head of state.
In a strongly worded statement issued by senior traditional leader Chief Livhuwani Matsila, the royal house said there had been widespread “ambiguity, confusion and lamentations” within communities after the Constitutional Court judgment concerning the controversial theft of foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm.
The royal house argued that many people had been misled into believing the court had found Ramaphosa guilty of breaching his oath of office or violating the constitution.
“A misleading narrative that the president was found wanting or in breach of his oath of office left many amongst our communities almost believing that president Ramaphosa has been found guilty,” the statement read.
The Constitutional Court recently ruled that parliament acted unlawfully when it blocked the adoption of the Section 89 independent panel report into the Phala Phala matter in 2022.
The judgment effectively revived the stalled impeachment process against Ramaphosa and ordered the National Assembly to reconsider the matter.
However, the court did not make any finding on Ramaphosa’s criminal guilt or innocence regarding the underlying allegations linked to the theft of undeclared foreign currency from his Limpopo game farm.
The ruling has triggered renewed political pressure on the president, with opposition parties arguing that Parliament must now revisit whether Ramaphosa has a case to answer under Section 89 of the Constitution, which deals with the removal of a president from office.
But the Matsila Royal House said Ramaphosa had acted responsibly by clarifying the implications of the judgment and reaffirming his commitment to the rule of law.
“In the face of unprecedented accusations and provocation, president Ramaphosa rose to the occasion and reassured the nation that the Constitutional Court did not find him guilty of committing any crime but ruled on the legality of parliamentary proceedings,” the statement said.
Intensifying political debate
The royal house further praised Ramaphosa’s decision to challenge aspects of the Section 89 report through judicial review proceedings, saying this demonstrated his willingness to subject himself to constitutional processes.
“It is with a great sense of inspiration and relief that we applaud President Ramaphosa for his decision to stand firm on the principles of law, fairness, transparency and constitutional supremacy as he exercises his right to subject the Phala Phala report to judicial review,” Matsila said.
The traditional leadership structure also linked the renewed scrutiny around Phala Phala to broader political battles within the governing ANC, claiming forces opposed to Ramaphosa’s anti-corruption campaign were attempting to undermine his reform agenda.
“The president has made enormous strides in the fight against corruption, particularly state capture, and any agendas to negate this unprecedented progress must be confronted with extreme circumspection and vigilance,” the statement read.
“It is now ostensibly evident that those who are at odds with the law shall stop at nothing to destabilise the national renewal agenda that President Ramaphosa has been championing.”
The intervention by the Matsila Royal House comes amid intensifying political debate ahead of anticipated discussions within ANC structures on the implications of the constitutional court ruling and Ramaphosa’s legal response.
The presidency has consistently maintained that the money stolen from Phala Phala originated from legitimate game sales and denied any wrongdoing by the president.
Chief Matsila said the royal house remained optimistic about the country’s future under Ramaphosa’s leadership and pledged continued support for him.
“As the Matsila Royal House, we pledge our unwavering support to the president and have no doubt that all future processes shall cement his legacy as the most progressive leader of South Africa in modern times,” the statement concluded.
- The Matsila Royal House has thrown its weight behind President Cyril Ramaphosa following last week’s Constitutional Court ruling on the long-running Phala Phala saga, describing the president as “law-abiding”, “transparent”, and committed to constitutional supremacy.
- The Matsila becomes the first royal house to publicly throw its weight behind the embattled head of state.
- In a strongly worded statement issued by senior traditional leader Chief Livhuwani Matsila, the royal house said there had been widespread “ambiguity, confusion and lamentations” within communities after the Constitutional Court judgment concerning the controversial theft of foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm.
- The royal house argued that many people had been misled into believing the court had found Ramaphosa guilty of breaching his oath of office or violating the constitution.
- “A misleading narrative that the president was found wanting or in breach of his oath of office left many amongst our communities almost believing that president Ramaphosa has been found guilty,” the statement read.
