- As the ANC’s integrity committee is set to deliver its report on Phala Phala at the weekend, party treasurer-general Paul Mashatile says a member doesn’t have to be charged to be asked to step aside.
- He says if the commission finds that allegations are damaging to the party, it could ask the member to step aside.
- Mashatile confirms that the integrity commission is expected to brief the NEC, but says he can’t confirm if its Phala Phala report was one of the issues on the agenda.
One does not only have to be criminally charged to be asked to step-aside, if the ANC’s integrity commission deems that allegations against a member are damaging to the image of the party, they could be relieved of their duties.
This was the warning of ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile at a media briefing on Wednesday following the ANC’s visit to check the state of readiness of the party’s 55th national elective conference at the Nasrec Expo Centre in the south of Johannesburg.
His utterances come as the party’s integrity commission is expected to present its report on Phala Phala over the weekend.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who appeared before the integrity commission last month, is the subject of five probes into impropriety linked to dealings at his Phala Phala farm. He has denied any wrong doing.
While Ramaphosa is subject to a criminal investigation, he has not been charged on the matter. He is currently the subject of a probe by an independent panel led by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo on whether or not he has an impeachable case to answer on Phala Phala.
Mashatile said the ANC’s integrity commission can ask party leaders to step aside even if they are not criminally charged.
“There is a bit of confusion with people thinking you step aside only when you are charged, this is not the case,” he said.
READ | Phala Phala saga: Ramaphosa tells Ngcobo panel he did nothing wrong and did not violate Constitution
Mashatile emphasised that “if the integrity commission is of the view that [the serious allegations] are damaging to the party, and takes the decision that you should step aside, you should do so.”
Mashatile, who is also the acting secretary-general, is gunning for the deputy presidency position at the ANC’s national elective conference in December.
He said party leaders who were criminally charged had to step aside immediately.
“If you are charged and appear in a court of law, you must immediately voluntarily step aside. If you don’t, then you get suspended by the ANC.” The NEC is meeting from Friday to Sunday. Mashatile confirmed that the integrity commission is expected to brief the NEC. However, he said he couldn’t confirm if the commission’s briefing would centre on the Phala Phala report.
Senior party leaders loyal to Ramaphosa told News24 that they expect the report on Phala Phala to be tabled by the integrity commission on Friday.
While he could not confirm whether the commission would discuss the report on Phala Phala, Mashatile did confirm that there were concerns regarding the implementation of the step-aside rule.
“There is no problem with the rules. It may well be the impression that the rule is not being implemented fairly, and we will look into this as the NEC,” said Mashatile.
Last month Ramaphosa confirmed that he voluntarily met the integrity commission with regards to the allegations emanating from the Phala Phala farm robbery in February 2020.
The independent panel led by Ngcobo is looking into whether Ramaphosa has an impeachable case to answer. It is expected to return with a verdict by the end of the month.
Regarding the ANC’s state of readiness to hold its 55th elective conference, Mashatile said it was all systems go with the branches that have managed to convene and nominate its preferred leaders standing at 85% – more than the required 70% threshold to meet the quorum.
