President Cyril Ramaphosa was ready to resign on Thursday afternoon as the storm broke over the section 89 panel’s findings that he may have committed serious violations of the law and the constitution.
However a group of close allies, including provincial leaders and national executive committee (NEC) members, persuaded him to stay and fight, saying he should not succumb to pressure from “amasela” (thieves).
The Sunday Times understands that Ramaphosa held a number of virtual meetings during which he told confidantes that he was considering resigning and then challenging the panel’s findings once he had left office.
A source who attended one of the meetings told the Sunday Times on Friday: “He was ready to resign yesterday [Thursday] and he wanted to announce that not later than 4pm, but this elder told him that he must not allow himself to be forced to leave ngamasela (by thieves). If he wants to leave, he must leave on his own terms.
“The issue he was raising was that he doesn’t want to damage the organisation. But this report is easily reviewable and his lawyers have told him so in no uncertain terms. But it is going to take time,” the source said.
“He said it [the legal challenge] might take a year or so and if the movement loses elections then they will blame him, so it is better for him to go so that he is not a stumbling block or contributory factor.”
Instead of Ramaphosa addressing the nation on Thursday as had been expected, his spokesperson Vincent Mangwenya took to the podium to say the president was “still processing the report” and was talking to a number of stakeholders.
The insider said Ramaphosa told confidantes he was tired of dealing with members of the NEC and cabinet who kept challenging his presidency despite his attempts at conciliation.
“One of his issues is the fact that he doesn’t have 100% support from the organisation and while he is busy with the renewal programme there are those working against him in the NEC and cabinet,” he said.
This elder told him he must not allow himself to be forced to leave ngamasela (by thieves). If he wants to leave, he must leave on his own terms
— Source close to the president
“This is the first president who gets attacked severely internally. You do that in the EFF, you are gone. Even in the DA. But [Ramaphosa] doesn’t attack them, he accommodates them, the likes of [Lindiwe] Sisulu.”
In addition, Ramaphosa felt that the section 89 panel did not consider the facts but relied on hearsay allegations to “crucify him”, the insider said.
In its report, the panel emphasised suspicions around the purchase of a buffalo by Sudanese businessman Mustafa Hazim for $580,000 in cash at Phala Phala in December 2019, and Hazim’s apparent failure to take possession of it.
“Clearly he suspects that there was an agenda but he had to comply. He feels that the report is flawed both in law and in fact because, without cross-examination or oral evidence, they took second-hand information and made it fact,” the source said.
“An example of this is that of the buffalo that was bought, and they question why it was still there. Clearly they don’t understand how buying stock works, or they just chose not to investigate it.”
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