Former Eastern Cape ANC chairperson Phumulo Masualle was the only member to break ranks during a tense ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting last week as senior leaders rallied behind President Cyril Ramaphosa amid the ongoing Phala Phala fallout.
According to insiders who spoke to the Sunday Times, the Cape Town meeting was largely dominated by support for Ramaphosa — with Masualle standing out as the lone dissenting voice.
He reportedly told the NEC that the president had still not properly accounted to the organisation over what happened at his Limpopo farm.
“He told us we don’t know the truth about Phala Phala,” one insider said.
“He said the president has never accounted to the NEC and yet we defend him blindly.”
The only person brave enough in that NEC was Masualle
— ANC source
The Phala Phala matter, which exploded in 2022 after allegations of foreign currency theft at Ramaphosa’s farm, has continued to haunt his presidency. An independent parliamentary panel later found there may be grounds for impeachment, findings Ramaphosa has rejected.
Insiders said most of the meeting focused on rallying behind the president and protecting the institution of the presidency rather than reopening the discussion on the scandal.
“The only person brave enough in that NEC was Masualle,” one source said.
“He said we can protect the office of the president, but how do we do that when we don’t even have all the facts?”
Masualle was reportedly given just three minutes to speak before his time ran out.
Insiders said a long list of NEC members spoke in defence of Ramaphosa and his leadership, including: Lindiwe Zulu, Pam Tshwete, Noxolo Kiviet, Joe Phaahla, Nonceba Mhlauli, Barbara Creecy, Mdu Manana, Nkenke Kekana, Parks Tau, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Mmamoloko Kubayi and Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
ANC Women’s League leaders Nokuthula Nqaba and Sisisi Tolashe were also among those who spoke in support of the president.
“They were all singing like a church choir for their supper,” one insider said.
According to sources, the dominant tone of the meeting was that Ramaphosa should not be punished for a crime that took place at his home and that the ANC needed to protect the office of the president.
Masualle, who was aligned to former health minister Zweli Mkhize’s slate at the ANC’s 2022 elective conference, has long been seen as part of a minority within the NEC willing to challenge the party line.
Other known critics stayed quiet. ANC leader Andile Lungisa reportedly did not speak at all during the meeting, despite his history of calling for sweeping changes in the NEC.
“Lungisa and others stayed silent as a form of protest,” one insider said.
“They saw the meeting as already decided.”
That view, insiders added, was reinforced after ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe had already publicly stated that Ramaphosa would not resign.
Veteran politician Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma reportedly did not attend the meeting.
According to insiders, one of the proposals presented by ANC officials to the NEC was that the ANC caucus should prioritise amendments to Rule 129 through parliament’s rules committee.
Sources said some NEC members argued that focusing on rules amendments would not stop the impeachment process because chief justice Mandisa Maya had already indicated that parliament could proceed while amending its rules concurrently.
“The officials were sliding in that direction in their presentations,” said one insider.
Another insider said ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli later clarified the parliamentary position during the meeting.
“There are matters referred to the rules committee in parliament, however, chief justice Maya has already indicated that it is not a condition for the process to begin,” the insider said.
The Sunday Times also reported that Ramaphosa intends to seek to interdict the Phala Phala impeachment proceedings against him.
This comes as parliament moves ahead this week with the first steps towards launching the impeachment process. Sources close to Ramaphosa indicated to the Sunday Times that an interdict was central to a strategy to stall MPs at least until a court had reviewed the section 89 panel report at the centre of the impeachment drama.
Ramaphosa, in an address to the nation, strongly indicated he has no intention of resigning and will take the report on review.
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