EFF challenges Lamola to have President Ramaphosa arrested over Phala Phala farm scandal

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi has challenged Justice Minister Ronald Lamola to have President Cyril Ramaphosa arrested for the Phala Phala farm scandal. Mkhaliphi was speaking during a Ministerial Peace and Security Cluster oral reply session during a sitting of Parliament in the Good Hope Chamber.

Mkhaliphi told Lamola that mounting evidence shows that the Head of Presidential Protection Unit and the Presidential adviser travelled to Namibia to arrest the suspects in June 2020.

She says there is also evidence that the Namibian authorities requested information in this regard.

“Are you a Minister that is defending their principal to the bitter end, despite mounting evidence against him. He’s going to deploy you don’t worry, just arrest him.”

In response Lamola told Mkhaliphi that they follow diplomatic protocols with the Namibian authorities.

“You have no role as to who becomes a Minister. It’s only the President. The International Co-operation in Criminal Matters Act is what is guiding us in this process with the Namibian authorities and the bilateral agreements that we have. There is nothing else. We are also following the diplomatic protocols that have been put in place between the  two countries and from time to time we engage with the Namibian authorities, we follow the procedure. When something  does not meet requirements, we do tell them. And even from our side, time to time they also engage with us so there is nothing untoward. This is normal international processes.”

Meanwhile, Police Minister Bheki Cele denied in the chamber that South African Police Service were involved in investigating the theft at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.

“The answer is no. South African Police Service was not used to investigate the alleged break-in and theft or to pursue the alleged perpetrators. The alleged break-in at the Phala Phala game farm is however currently under  investigation by the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, DPCI known as Hawks.”

The NPA says there is still no docket on the Phala Phala farm: