Ramaphosa to face further Phala Phala questions on September 29
MPs had sought an earlier session but president informs Speaker that the scheduled date is the earliest he can attend
08 September 2022 - 16:23
by Andisiwe Makinana
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President Cyril Ramaphosa. File photo. Image: GCIS
President Cyril Ramaphosa will answer outstanding questions from MPs on September 29 about the robbery at his Phala Phala game farm, a scheduled date for a presidential question session.
National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs on Thursday that Ramaphosa had indicated it is the earliest date he can attend parliament.
A question session last Tuesday ended abruptly after MPs disagreed whether Ramaphosa he answered an African Transformation Movement (ATM) question about his handling of the scandal.
Two days later, during a meeting of the National Assembly programming committee, opposition MPs demanded an urgent reconvening of parliament so Ramaphosa could answer the outstanding supplementary questions.
“The president ... has indicated that the earliest opportunity he can attend to the outstanding questions is September 29, which is the day which anyway was allocated for questions to the president,” Mapisa-Nqakula told the programming committee.
“Accordingly then, the president will deal with the supplementary questions ... that will be in addition to the questions that will be on the order paper for the day.”
Opposition MPs expressed disappointment Ramaphosa couldn’t find time in his schedule to appear earlier.
“It’s unfortunate that he could not find one hour in his time between now and the 29th to attend to this very urgent business,” said IFP chief whip Narend Singh.
EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu rejected Mapisa-Nqakula’s feedback describing it as “rubbish”, and said MPs should not accept that “Mr Ramaphosa cannot come and account”.
“It’s completely unacceptable that we are now being dictated to by the president who is supposed to account to parliament, about things which are bordering on him committing crime and undermining the laws of this country.
“Where is the relative autonomy of parliament when a president just does as he wishes?”
Separately, Mapisa-Nqakula said the report on the socio-economic impact study on the relocation of parliament will be made available to MPs next week. Parliament commissioned the study in 2018 but its findings and recommendations have been kept under wraps.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Ramaphosa to face further Phala Phala questions on September 29
MPs had sought an earlier session but president informs Speaker that the scheduled date is the earliest he can attend
Image: GCIS
President Cyril Ramaphosa will answer outstanding questions from MPs on September 29 about the robbery at his Phala Phala game farm, a scheduled date for a presidential question session.
National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs on Thursday that Ramaphosa had indicated it is the earliest date he can attend parliament.
A question session last Tuesday ended abruptly after MPs disagreed whether Ramaphosa he answered an African Transformation Movement (ATM) question about his handling of the scandal.
Two days later, during a meeting of the National Assembly programming committee, opposition MPs demanded an urgent reconvening of parliament so Ramaphosa could answer the outstanding supplementary questions.
“The president ... has indicated that the earliest opportunity he can attend to the outstanding questions is September 29, which is the day which anyway was allocated for questions to the president,” Mapisa-Nqakula told the programming committee.
“Accordingly then, the president will deal with the supplementary questions ... that will be in addition to the questions that will be on the order paper for the day.”
Opposition MPs expressed disappointment Ramaphosa couldn’t find time in his schedule to appear earlier.
“It’s unfortunate that he could not find one hour in his time between now and the 29th to attend to this very urgent business,” said IFP chief whip Narend Singh.
EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu rejected Mapisa-Nqakula’s feedback describing it as “rubbish”, and said MPs should not accept that “Mr Ramaphosa cannot come and account”.
“It’s completely unacceptable that we are now being dictated to by the president who is supposed to account to parliament, about things which are bordering on him committing crime and undermining the laws of this country.
“Where is the relative autonomy of parliament when a president just does as he wishes?”
Separately, Mapisa-Nqakula said the report on the socio-economic impact study on the relocation of parliament will be made available to MPs next week. Parliament commissioned the study in 2018 but its findings and recommendations have been kept under wraps.
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