South Africa: Ramaphosa Faces Parliament As Phala Phala Heat Rises

President Cyril Ramaphosa returns to Parliament on Tuesday with the Phala Phala cloud hanging heavily over him.

Ramaphosa will table the Presidency budget vote in the National Assembly, where political parties are expected to attack his leadership and question the state of his administration.

The budget will set out funding priorities for the Presidency, including support for Ramaphosa, the deputy president and Cabinet.

Ramaphosa faces growing political pressure after Parliament's new Section 89 Impeachment Committee started its work on Monday.

The committee will look into the Phala Phala scandal, which has haunted Ramaphosa since foreign currency was stolen from his Limpopo game farm in 2020.

Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana was elected chairperson of the committee.

The ANC made a surprise move by nominating Gana before the DA could do so.

ANC MP Mikateko Mahlaule nominated him and DA MP George Michalakis seconded the nomination.

The Progressive Caucus, which includes the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, Economic Freedom Fighters, African Transformation Movement and United Africans Transformation, tried to push another candidate.

They wanted United Africans Transformation MP Wonderboy Mahlatsi to chair the committee, but did not have enough votes.

He said his first task would be to set up the structure that will guide the inquiry.

"I'm focused on the work of Parliament and that work is going to proceed without delay," said Gana.

He said Parliament's work must continue unless a court stops it.

Ramaphosa is challenging the Section 89 report in the Western Cape High Court, but he has not applied to stop Parliament's impeachment process.

The Constitutional Court recently ruled that Parliament acted unlawfully when it rejected the Phala Phala report in 2022.

The court said Parliament failed to properly scrutinise the impeachment motion against Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa appeared in the National Assembly for a question-and-answer session on 14 May.

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But opposition parties are expected to use the budget debate to hammer him over Phala Phala, the performance of his Presidency and the state of government.

Parties in the Progressive Caucus walked out of his May appearance.

They have not yet said whether they will boycott Tuesday's budget vote.

Ramaphosa is expected to return to the National Assembly on Wednesday to respond to the debate.

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