Cape Town - Deputy Paul Mashatile on Thursday said the fact that public institutions investigated President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal spoke volumes about the strength of the country’s democracy.
Mashatile said Phala Phala was being probed by more than one agency.
This follows the break-in and theft of US dollars on Ramaphosa’s farm two years ago.
“We take this opportunity to support these institutions concerned and emphasise that they must be allowed to complete their work,” he said.
The deputy president said Ramaphosa had expressed his commitment to cooperate fully with all the investigations.
“The government supports this position without reservation.”
Mashatile made the statement while responding to oral questions in the National Assembly.
This was after EFF MP Ntombovuyo Mente asked whether unanswered questions about Phala Phala served to undermine the government’s efforts to combat crime and corruption.
The deputy president said it would be ill advised to opine on whether government efforts to combat crime and corruption had been undermined.
This was because the various investigations were still ongoing.
“We simply do not have sufficient information to reach informed conclusions at this stage,” he said.
Asked about the impact of the ANC’s use of its majority to circumvent parliamentary majority by burying the allegations faced by Ramaphosa, Mashatile said there was no shielding taking place.
“I think sometimes there is zeal to find the President guilty without going through due processes.
“It is not correct.” He said South Africa was a democracy.
It had independent institutions and nobody was interfering with them.
“I can assure you that these institutions are doing their work without fear or favour.”
Asked by ANC MP Mikateko Mahlaule to take the nation into his confidence about the status of the Phala Phala investigations, Mashatile said several agencies were dealing with the matter, including Parliament.
“I want to suggest to honourable members that we allow these institutions to complete their work.
“Once they have completed their work, you will have an opportunity as this august House to be able to deal with a complete report rather than run around speculating.”
However, DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube asked him about Parliament’s constitutional obligation when the ANC blocked its draft proposals for establishment of an ad hoc committee to look into aspects of Phala Phala.
Mashatile said that was how democracy worked, where the majority had its way.
“When the ANC believes its course is correct, it will use its majority to push those decisions,” he said.
He added that winning positions was something achieved at elections.
Mashatile said the National Assembly should be allowed to take its decision in a democratic way.
“Democracy means that the majority rules, that’s it,” he said.”
Responding to earlier questions about his priorities as the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Mashatile said there was much more to be done to ensure ministers were accountable to the national legislature.
Concerns have been expressed about ministers not attending to their parliamentary duties, such as attending meetings of parliamentary committees and plenaries to answer questions, among other things.
Mashatile said ministers had constitutional obligations to avail themselves, respond to oral questions, appear before portfolio committees and attend to plenaries.
He noted that the Speaker wrote to his office on a quarterly basis informing it about outstanding replies by ministers and those ministers with more than ten outstanding questions were made to account.
He said unanswered questions had dropped from 405 in 2019 to 83 last year.
“We need to do much more to deal with that,” he said.
When Gwarube said that was not good enough as ministers continued to not attend oral question sessions, the deputy president said there would be consequences if ministers did not comply.
“The Speaker has powers to reprimand members that don’t comply. It will continue to be done to ensure the executive is held accountable. We are not to compromise on that.”
Cape Times