By Lungani Zungu
Five ANC Members of Parliament are in hot water after they voted for the adoption of the Phala Phala report in parliament, in complete defiance of the party’s position on the matter.
A meeting of the ANC national executive committee instructed MPs to reject the report as President Cyril Ramaphosa has decided to take it on review.
The report of the Section 89 Panel led by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo found that Ramaphosa may have broken his oath of office, money-laundering and tax laws.
The ANC leadership rejected the report as inconclusive, flawed and insufficient to form the basis of a process to impeach a sitting president.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Supra Mahumapelo, Mosebenzi Zwane, Mervyn Dirks and Thandi Mahambehlala defied the instruction of the party.
ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe said the party would discuss what action to be meted out against them.
“We will take the report back to the ANC to say that we had five members who had voted with the opposition,” said Mantashe.
The vote on Tuesday meant Ramaphosa evaded a possible process of impeachment after 214 of the 400 MPs voted against the adoption of the Phala Phala report.
At least 148 MPs voted in favour of the report being adopted.
Another ANC MP initially voted in favour of the adoption of the report, but later made a stunning U-turn, announcing that she had decided to vote against it.
With just days before the crucial ANC conference on Friday, Ramaphosa and allies are now breathing a sigh of relief.
The voting was done through a manual voting system — where names of MPs were called and they indicated whether they voted in favour of the adoption or against it.
The ATM’s application to have the voting by a secret ballot was rejected by Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
EFF leader Julius Malema said the red berets will be going to court to have the process restarted.
Pictured above: Cyril Ramaphosa
Picture source: @24VisionaryNews
