Mapisa-Nqakula to write to Ramaphosa to check availability to answer outstanding questions
President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) 2022 Annual General Meeting, 31 August
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Ramaphosa
Skhangiwe Mthiyane
1 September 2022, 17:13 [SAST]
Reading Time: 4minutes
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is expected to write to President Cyril Ramaphosa to ask for his availability so that he can answer some of the outstanding questions that could not be finished on Tuesday.
There was disagreement from the opposition on how the President responded to the question regarding the Phala Phala farm robbery.
While opposition parties insist the President should be back before Parliament within two weeks, the African National Congress says he must return at the end of the month for the next question and answer session which has already been predetermined.
Mapisa-Nqakula says she will also meet the Chief Whip of the majority party as well as the Deputy President who is the leader of government business to thrash out the matter.
“I am going to write a letter to the President to request a date so that we can complete this business. Honourable members as you are aware I cannot make determination on the availability of the President, I don’t write his diary, he will respond on his availability.”
Opposition parties unhappy with Ramaphosa’s response on Phala Phala farm saga
Ramaphosa’s question and answer session in the National Assembly was delayed by more than an hour on Tuesday as some opposition MPs called for it to be held in person.
The President once again refused to answer questions related to the theft of money from his Phala Phala Farm in Limpopo.
The President says he would like to give law enforcement agencies investigating this matter the space to do their work before addressing it.
President refuses to answer question on Phala Phala:
UDM MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa says, “This is a question and answer session to which we must hold the executive to account and the President is here to answer questions and the question is still on the paper. I did say at the beginning that it has been put there and it must be responded to. All that needs to happen is put the question to the President – as he said he is willing to answer – he needs to provide the response.”
Speaking during the session at the National Assembly, Malema said: “The ConCourt [Constitutional Court] vs EFF vs Speaker of Parliament on the Zuma matter, we were highly criticised for not holding the President accountable and not playing our role. The President comes here when we try to play our role, and [he] talks about something else. So, the President must answer the question today [Tuesday]. He went and kidnapped people, engaged in money laundering, intimidated and kidnapped women on his farm and we are told he must not answer. Please, the President must answer the question.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa answers questions in the National Assembly:
ATM reacts
African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyo Zungula voiced his opposition to President Ramaphosa’s response.
“We can’t accept his explanation about law enforcement agencies and everything that he has stated. The purpose of asking questions and we follow a process where the questions are approved, it is because we want answers.”
“If the President doesn’t want to answer, we must rule on that Speaker. So, I can’t move on to asking a follow-up question without an answer being given,” added Zungula.
Full interview with ATM leader Vuyo Zungula:
The Inkatha Freedom Party has called for more talks on opposition parties’ demands for President Cyril Ramaphosa to be properly held to account in the Phala Phala farm saga.
The IFP’s Chief Whip Narend Singh says, “The President said that these are matters of great interest, but we haven’t concluded on the matter. Let us meet, talk about it sensibly, so that we can have these questions answered when we settle down for it to be answered. I think that would be most appropriate, otherwise, this House is going to be in a state of chaos.
