President Cyril Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa during the official opening of the 3rd Basic Education Lekgotla at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. 21/01/2019 Kopano Tlape GCIS

Farmgate: Mapisa-Nqakula still pondering on Ramaphosa probe

Opposition parties in Parliament are piling on the pressure and demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa come clean about the farm robbery

President Cyril Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa during the official opening of the 3rd Basic Education Lekgotla at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. 21/01/2019 Kopano Tlape GCIS

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is reportedly still applying her mind on whether or not to launch an investigation into President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala farm scandal.

Earlier this month, former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa, claiming he concealed the theft of R62 million that had been kept on his farm in Phala Phala, Limpopo. He also alleges that the suspects were kidnapped and interrogated, before being offered money for their silence. Ramaphosa has admitted there was a robbery on his property, but denies being criminally liable and says the monies stolen were proceeds from the sale of cattle on his farm.

MORE PRESSURE ON RAMAPHOSA OVER FARM SCANDAL

There has since been calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to come clean about what exactly happened on his farm, mainly from opposition parties in Parliament and other sectors of society.

The DA has also called for an ad hoc committee to probe Ramaphosa, particularly following new information suggesting that Deputy State Security Minister Zizi Kodwa was involved.

“Allegations that a secret fund, intelligence fund was used to pay off the record operation to track and recover the stolen money and apprehend the suspects, as well as the deployment of an elite task force to the president’s farm at a cost of R2 million a month, have broadened the scope of this scandal considerably,” said party leader John Steenhuisen.

The ATM had already lodged an inquiry request with Mapisa-Nqakula, but it was declined as it lacked a substantive motion. The party’s president Vuyo Zungula sent another submission on the matter and on Monday, “reminded” Mapisa-Nqakula about their bid.

“We submitted a letter raising a motion to your office for the establishment of a section 89 committee inquiry in terms of Rule 129A, yet there is not formal communication from the Speaker’s office with regards to our request,” he wrote to her.

“As part of being objective and ensuring that the work of Parliament is unhindered, the Speaker must prioritise such matters, especially where there are accusations of this magnitude against the President,”

ATM President Vuyo Zungula