'Phala Phala scandal brought ANC into disrepute' — Integrity commission report to dominate NEC meeting

A report said to be by the ANC integrity commission (IC) has concluded that the Phala Phala scandal has brought the party into disrepute.

The ethics body, however, could not determine whether President Cyril Ramaphosa, those who work on the farm, Arthur Fraser or ANC members should be held responsible.

The draft report, titled “Progress report on the Phala Phala matter”, says the body of elders could not get Ramaphosa to reveal details of what transpired at his Limpopo farm in February 2020, where millions in foreign currency was alleged to have been stolen, and that measures were put in place to keep the theft a secret through clandestine operations involving the police and intelligence networks.

According to the report, when Ramaphosa met the elders he told them that he had been barred by the public protector from discussing details of the incident.

The draft report, which TimesLIVE has seen, is expected to be tabled at the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) meeting this weekend.

Integrity commission head George Mashamba did not confirm nor deny the report's authenticity when approached for comment on Friday.

“It doesn’t come from us. I can’t comment on something that you say is a report of the IC. I can’t comment on that. All I’m telling you is that we have not issued any report yet,” said Mashamba.

The report reads: “Given that we have not been able to hear from Cde President, we are unable to determine the cause of what has brought the ANC into disrepute.

“It could be that it is the actions of individuals on Cde President’s farm that has brought the ANC into disrepute. It could be Cde President’s response to events on the farm that have brought the ANC into disrepute. It could be the reporting of the incident to the police station by an ANC member that has brought the ANC into disrepute.

“It could be forces external to the ANC and the way in which they have mobilised around the incident, that has brought the ANC into disrepute. It could be the way in which forces within the ANC have mobilised that have brought the ANC into disrepute.

“It could be that Cde President broke the law that has brought the ANC into disrepute.”

The commission said it was difficult to reach a conclusion as the matter has been placed at the centre of the party's battle for leadership. It said the outcome was not going to “enable the ANC to fulfil the promise of renewal” because of the rivalry that goes from “strength to strength”.

“They [divisions] are not lessening or diminishing. The current situation presents the ANC as its own worst enemy and patriotic South Africans are watching with horror the speed with which the ANC is progressing towards its own disintegration. It is now clear that the factions, especially within the leadership, will never agree on anything that affects another faction,” the report reads.

“The above-mentioned political situation within the ANC, and NEC in particular, put the IC and the implementation of its mandate in an invidious position.”

The commission has recommended Ramaphosa tells the ANC and South Africans what took place at the farm.

“The IC finds that while the Phala Phala incident and events around it have definitely brought the ANC into disrepute, at this stage it is not possible to determine individuals’ responsibilities in bringing the ANC into disrepute.

“The IC therefore recommends that the president takes the NEC into his confidence and the NEC takes the people of South Africa into its confidence on a matter which has brought the ANC into disrepute.”

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