Phala Phala panel report deadline extended

National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has extended the deadline by which the independent panel of experts investigating the Phala Phala saga has to submit its report from Thursday to November 30.

According to parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo, the extension was requested by the chairperson of the panel, former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo. Mothapo said the panel argued they did not have enough time “due to the amount of work to be done”.

“In his letter the chairperson indicated the panel had assessed the inquiry process to determine if it will meet the submission deadline of November 17 and had, based on its assessment of the amount of ground still to be covered and the available resources, determined the inquiry should be completed within 13 days, that is by November 30.

“The panel said the additional time requested was realistic, taking into account the importance of the inquiry, its complexity and the novelty of the nature of work involved.

“The panel believes it was in the public interest that an inquiry of this nature be scrupulously conducted, and all the information and submissions placed before it be carefully considered,” he said.

The decision has come as a boost for ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term at the ANC’s December national elective conference.

Ramaphosa’s political opponents, within and outside the ruling party, were banking on the report from the panel, whose task is to establish whether Ramaphosa has an impeachable case to answer. They are hoping the panel will make adverse findings against him and use that as the basis to call for his head before the conference.

Parliament goes into festive season recess on December 1, a day after the panel would have submitted the report, making it highly unlikely the report would be entertained by MPs before December 16.

However, MPs may push for the parliamentary programme to be extended by another week or two, to allow the legislature to process the panel’s report before the ANC conference, when the National Assembly programme committee meets on November 17.

The strategy by his detractors to use Phala Phala became clear at last weekend’s ANC national executive committee meeting where presidential contender Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Tony Yengeni attempted to push for Ramaphosa to step aside in the wake of the Phala Phala saga.

However, his explanation about what took place at his Limpopo game farm, allegedly without his knowledge, sufficed and Ramaphosa survived to see another day.

Shortly after Mothapo’s statement, DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube confirmed her party would on Thursday argue for the extension of parliament’s programme to deal with Phala Phala.

“The matter cannot be delayed or deferred to next year. It is urgent. No sitting president should have a question whether he broke the law, and by extension his oath of office, hanging over his head,” said Gwarube.

“In addition, National Assembly rules pertaining to section 89 of the constitution compel the speaker to table the report before the house as a matter of urgency. It makes sense this is done in the first week of December.

“The DA will reach out to other parties who have been calling for accountability on this matter to support the call to extend the programme of parliament.”

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.