KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo has echoed the words of former President Thabo Mbeki in saying the ruling party had to prepare for the political aftermath of the Phala Phala probe into President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The ANC NEC members met at NASREC on Friday, south of Johannesburg, to discuss the future of Ramaphosa. However, the meeting was adjourned after brief talks and the NEC is expected to convene again on Sunday.
Mtolo has told the media in NASREC that the conclusion of the party’s NEC’s deliberation of the expert panel’s report on the Phala Phala matter should be dealt with immediately.
“[Former] President Thabo Mbeki I think was correct to say the ANC must start to prepare for the eventuality of all size. I think now this has happened; we are really not ready. At least by Monday, when we wake up, the country will know what is the view of the ANC. The right decision would be not to drag this thing until 2024. The ANC can’t afford to go with this thing being either fought in courts, Parliament and all that. It can’t afford that.”
Meeting did not collapse
NEC member Senzo Mchunu earlier told the SABC that the meeting did not collapse.
ANC Acting Secretary-General Paul Mashatile says the party’s NEC meeting did not discuss whether or not party President Ramaphosa expressed his intensions to step down or not.
He says, “The President was not in the meeting. He’s busy consulting. As far as we are concerned the issue of the President putting his intension to resign or not didn’t arise. It only now that the officials are going to be meeting with him probably tomorrow if he’s back from Cape Town.”
Mashatile adds, “We decided that the NEC of the ANC should also be given the report of Parliament which comes from the panel, however, the NEC needs wisdom and today decided that they would like that report to be given to the officials of the ANC first. The officials just processed and convene a NWC once it’s done. We will convene the NEC and we should do this before the 6th of December, so between tomorrow and Sunday we will do all that.”
Other ANC NEC members have also reacted to the adjournment.
Senior political reporter Samkele Maseko spoke to them:
