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Section 89 Panel’s deadline extended from 17 to 30 November

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National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has extended the deadline of the Section 89 Independent Panel of Experts by 13 more days.

The announcement of the extension comes a day before the panel had to conclude its assessment and report back to the Speaker.

The panel report was initially expected to be submitted to the Speaker by tomorrow. It will now only report back to the Speaker by the 30 November.

The panel has been assessing the information that the ATM, EFF and UDM have submitted and President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded to.

The information relates to the theft of millions of US dollars from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala Farm in Limpopo nearly three years ago.

Parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, who is chairing the panel, has written to Mapisa-Nqakula asking for an extension. The panel is now expected to continue with its assessment over the next two weeks.

Panel letter from Ngcobo sent to Party Chief Whips by Mapisa-Nqakula:

In a statement, Mothapo says, “In considering the request of the panel, the Speaker was mindful that the current Rules governing the Section 89 process do not provide for an extension of the deadline for submission of the panel report. In this regard, the Speaker has invoked Rule 6, which deals with unforeseen circumstances, to accede to the Panel’s request. In terms of this Rule, the Speaker may give a ruling or frame a rule in respect of any eventuality for which the rules or orders of the House do not provide, having due regard to the procedures, precedents, practices and conventions developed by the House and on the basis of constitutional values and principles underpinning an open, accountable and democratic society. The Speaker has accordingly extended the deadline on which the Panel will submit its report from 17 November 2022 to 30 November 2022. The Speaker concurs with the Panel Chairperson that the extreme importance of the Panel’s work to the Members of the National Assembly, the President and the People of South Africa required the Panel to carefully consider all the information and submissions placed before it.”

 

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