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Ramaphosa’s spokesperson frowns on calls to step aside over Phala Phala - ‘You’d expect Cabinet members to know better’

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson frowns on calls to step aside over Phala Phala - ‘You’d expect Cabinet members to know better’
Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya updates the public, through a media briefing, on the President’s public engagements programme for the week.04/11/2022.Photo:Elmond Jiyane/GCIS
Suné Payne
By Suné Payne
4 Nov 2022
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‘Professional decorum’ was a repeated phrase in the stern response by Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson to certain ministers taking a swipe at the President in the media instead of confronting him directly.

‘The President is not blind, there is a period of contestation within the governing party,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, about calls from within his own executive calling for him to step aside.

During a media briefing in Cape Town on Friday morning, Magwenya had to field several questions about statements by members of the executive calling for Ramaphosa to step aside following the investigation into the robbery at Phala Phala, his private game farm, and the resultant fallout. 

Read in Daily Maverick: “Ramaphosa’s Farmgate scandal – a timeline of what we know (and don’t know) so far”

Long-standing minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises Phumulo Masualle have called for Ramaphosa to step aside while the investigation is still ongoing. 

During the briefing, Magwenya said: “Phala Phala is under investigation – you would expect Cabinet members to know better; that we allow investigations to run their course before any pronouncements are made.” 

Referring to the comments by Sisulu (in Daily News) and Masualle (in City Press), Magwenya said: “Members of Cabinet have a direct line to the President… the expected professional decorum will be that should they have any concerns over their work, about the President, about the state of various matters, they will address those issues directly with the President.” 

He added: “As to calls being made through the public domain and the media, that just seems to depart and deviate from the expected and well-established decorum of the working relationship.” 

Both Sisulu and Masualle – who are currently members of the ANC’s National Executive Committee alongside Ramaphosa – are contesting for positions at the party’s ANC national conference scheduled for 16 to 20 December in Gauteng. 

Sisulu has made herself available for the top job of president, and Masualle has raised his hand for the Top 6 position of secretary-general.

Magwenya repeated himself: “There is an established decorum, there is an established manner of professional engagement between the President and members of his Cabinet and any individual within that established decorum, that behaviour [is] more of a reflection on them than the President.” 

Then added: “The President has never publicly berated any of his Cabinet members – if he has any concerns about their performance, he will do so on a one-on-one basis.” 

Read in Daily Maverick: “Phala Phala allegations spark non-stop online campaign to stoke dissent against Ramaphosa”

Magwenya also touched on the ANC conference in under two months, saying “none of us are naive and the President is not blind to the fact that we are in a period of contestation within the governing party”, and that individuals in their party capacities will “choose to exercise their right to their express their views in whichever way and whatever manner”. 



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Returning to the matter of Phala Phala, Magwenya confirmed that Ramaphosa would submit a response to an independent panel that must assess whether he has a case to answer in a Section 89 impeachment motion. The deadline for his submission is Sunday, 6 November. 

Beefing up the Hawks


Speaking about the Ramaphosa-led administration’s achievements in reference to State Capture, Magwenya referred to “the appointment of new leadership at the Hawks, which has restored the credibility and stability of the institution and led to action against corruption”. 

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya. (Photo: Elmond Jiyane / GCIS)



On Thursday, in a Cabinet statement, four new names were announced as part of the Hawks leadership, including: 

  • Major-General Siphosihle Thumy Nkosi – the new deputy national head;

  • Brigadier Nicholaas Jacobus Gerber – deputy provincial head: Mpumalanga;

  • Brigadier Gopaul Govender – deputy provincial head: Limpopo; and

  • Brigadier Stephen Molefi Mabuela – deputy provincial head: Northern Cape.


“Since 2018, the Hawks have secured 4,500 convictions for corruption and other priority crimes,” said Magwenya. 

COP27


Magwenya said Ramaphosa would lead the country’s delegation to COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, next week. The team would include Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor and the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy.  

Read in Daily Maverick: “COP27 is yet another chance to make up for missed opportunities and broken promises”

The delegation’s focus would be on “securing maximum ambition in terms of climate action, the honouring of previous commitments, and the provision of enabling means of implementation support for developing countries including South Africa”.  

State visit to Kenya


After COP27, Ramaphosa would head to Kenya on 9 November 2022 at the invitation of President William Ruto. 

The visit “offers both countries the opportunity to build on the momentum created by the November state visit last year by former president Kenyatta and to strengthen and deepen bilateral relations and cooperation between South Africa and the new Kenyan administration”. DM

 

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