MK Party says Gana’s appointment undermines independence of Phala Phala probe

Vote and alignments

The election took place at the committee’s first meeting, where Gana received 19 votes and ATM MP Dr Wonderboy Mahlatsi received 12. ANC MP Mikateko Mahlaule nominated Gana, while EFF MP Omphile Maotwe nominated Mahlatsi.

According to the parliamentary vote breakdown in the meeting, Gana’s nomination was supported by the ANC, DA, Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus). Opposition to his appointment came from the EFF, MK Party, ActionSA, National Coloured Congress (NCC), Build One South Africa (BOSA), ATM and United Traditional Alliance (UTA). Mahlatsi was backed by the EFF, MK Party, ActionSA, BOSA, ATM and UTA, while the ANC, DA, FF Plus and PA voted against his nomination.

MK Party rejects the appointment

Speaking on the sidelines of the committee meeting, MK Party parliamentary leader John Hlophe said his party was disappointed with the outcome and questioned the independence of the process.

“As the MK party, we are hugely disappointed. The outcome of this is not what we expected,”

Hlophe also asserted that Rise Mzansi was aligned with the ANC and criticised Gana’s conduct in Parliament as evidence of partiality.

“Basically, we have Rise Mzansi, which is a project of the ANC. Rise Mzansi is basically presiding over these proceedings. They are using Rise Mzansi to achieve that which they could not achieve,”

“As far as we are concerned, in order for the process to have any credibility, it must be chaired by an independent person, and we do not believe with due respect that Honourable Gana is independent,”

Hlophe pointed to Gana’s interactions during the vote, saying,

“In fact, if you look at what happened, we did not vote for him. He did not even come to our side to shake hands with us. He shook hands with the ANC and the DA and all other people who voted for him. That’s a clear sign that the circus is about to begin. As far as we are concerned in the MK party, we do not want the ANC to cover up again,”

He further linked the appointment to prior alleged political interference, saying,

“We are where we are today because the ANC tried to protect Ramaphosa,”

and added that the party had observed patterns it believed reflected bias in parliamentary processes. Hlophe said,

“We have been in Parliament for two years, and we have witnessed how Mr Gana operates. He has never voted against the ANC on any issue, be it committees or plenary sessions,”

and characterised the process as lacking objectivity:

“This has been declared irrational, unlawful, and unconscionable,”

ActionSA stresses need for an opposition-led chair

ActionSA Parliamentary Chief Whip Lerato Ngobeni said her party voted against what she described as the ANC-sponsored GNU candidate for chairperson because the committee needed an opposition-led chair to ensure independence.

“Our position was never about any individual candidate, but rather the constitutional principle that accountability processes must be demonstrably independent from those with a direct interest in the continuation of the current administration,”

Ngobeni warned that appointing a politically aligned chairperson could undermine public trust and said ActionSA would continue to participate constructively in the committee’s work to ensure it fulfils its constitutional mandate. She added,

“The ultimate test before Parliament is not whether it can protect a President, but whether it can uphold the Constitution and demonstrate that no office bearer is beyond accountability,”

What the committee will do next

The 31-member committee was established to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to recommend the removal of President Cyril Ramaphosa over the theft of more than $580,000 from his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in 2020, according to the Constitutional Court judgment that prompted Parliament to form the body.

The committee will now begin its reassessment of the Phala Phala report and scrutinise the allegations against the President as part of that constitutional process.