LISTEN | What about Zuma and Malema? - Gwede Mantashe hits back in Phala Phala row

ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe has rebuked opposition parties for what he described as selective outrage and “playing to the gallery” in their pursuit of impeachment of President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala matter.

During Tuesday’s National Assembly plenary, MK Party MP Wesley Douglas launched an attack, accusing parliament under ANC leadership of shielding the president from accountability.

Douglas told the house South Africa operates under “two systems”: one where ordinary citizens face swift investigation and consequences, and another reserved for Ramaphosa and political elites.

He cited the findings of the independent Section 89 panel, chaired by a former chief justice, which found prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa may have committed serious violations of the constitution and misconduct linked to the 2020 theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala farm.

“The ANC-led parliament shielded him. Instead of scrutiny, he received corrupt political cover,” Douglas said.

He also criticised the pace of the impeachment process, including the election of a committee chairperson, and accused Ramaphosa of turning to the courts to avoid accountability.

Mantashe rejected claims of a special “ANC law”, pointing to legal processes involving other political leaders.

He said former president Jacob Zuma has spent years in court over the arms deal, while EFF leader Julius Malema is exercising his right to appeal against the unlawful possession of a firearm conviction.

“When it is Ramaphosa, he is expected to subject himself to a different standard that is not applied to others,” Mantashe said.

He dismissed the opposition’s approach as emotive grandstanding that does little to advance the national interest.

Opposition parties, including the MK Party, EFF and ATM, have intensified pressure on Ramaphosa after a Constitutional Court ruling that reopened the path for parliament to reconsider the Section 89 process.

Ramaphosa has approached the Western Cape High Court to review and set aside the Section 89 panel’s findings, citing procedural flaws.

The matter is expected to be heard in September. He has maintained he will not resign and will follow due process.

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