Cyril gears up for more wars before conference

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s backers are readying for battle and more attempts to have him removed from power in the lead up to the ANC’s national conference next month.

Ramaphosa survived an onslaught at the weekend from his detractors in the ANC who launched frontal attack against him and called for his head during a heated three-day National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

He came under fire from his opponents over the Phala Phala scandal.

Calls for Ramaphosa to step aside are said to have been led by ANC presidential candidate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on day one of the special meeting held at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg.  Others who are said to have called for Ramaphosa to step down include Tony Yengeni.

The sitting was the last ordinary NEC meeting for the leadership led by Ramaphosa that was elected at the same venue in 2017.

Two Ramaphosa allies in the party told Sowetan yesterday that after the ANC integrity report on the Phala Phala saga could not be tabled for discussion at the weekend, they expected his opponents to launch another attempt to remove him.

Another report which could not be tabled was related to the Digital Vibes scandal which saw presidential hopeful Zweli Mkhize removed as health minister.

The NEC resolved to wait for the outcome on Parliament’s independent panel that will ascertain whether a motion to impeach Ramaphosa passes the muster. One of Ramaphosa’s allies who asked not to be named said what happened this past weekend was likely to playout again before the December conference.

"We have not seen the end of those calling for the president to step down," said the ally.

ANC Veterans League president Snuki Zikalala said he was confident Ramaphosa has nothing to answer to.

“We agreed the last NEC meeting would be in two weeks’ time and that we should have all the reports in two weeks. Everything now hinges on the parliamentary inquiry,” Zikalala said.

While Ramaphosa is said to have finally taken the ANC into his confidence about where the stolen funds from his Phala Phala farm came from, his detractors are said to have used the disclosure to call for his head.

However, minister in the presidency and Ramaphosa’s chief lobbyist for a second term, Mondli Gungubele, said:

“The president ... if there is one thing he does is listen to both his advocates and detractors and what I’ve learned from him is his ability to respond to them.

“The president has made his submission to the panel now and in a few days the panel will be making a pronouncement. There should be no processes that are meant for the president… processes that everyone must be subjected to are the same process the president must be subjected to."

ANC Eastern Cape chairperson and one of Ramaphosa’s lieutenants, Oscar Mabuyane, described calls for Ramaphosa to step aside as “opportunistic".

“For me I think those calls are irrational because they don’t take  into account the processes that was decided here. Decisions were taken here, and everyone must actually follow the process to the latter and step-aside comes after.”

Another ANC insider who spoke on condition of anonymity lambasted those who were preoccupied with Phala Phala, saying there were more pressing issues that needed their attention.

“However, the meeting was very robust, it was heated, it was a good meeting of the ANC because people were able to ventilate their frustrations and get things out in the open,” he said.

While giving his closing remarks, Ramaphosa steered clear of mentioning the Phala Phala saga, which was said to have dominated the meeting.  Instead, he said his leadership would report to delegates at the party's conference on the implementation of the mandate they were given.

"The report will be greatly enriched by the discussions that we had here, and our report will reflect that while this NEC has had to confront serious challenges, we can point to several achievements and progress in a number of areas," he said.

"At the same time, we will need to acknowledge our shortcomings and our failings."

ANC NEC member Nomvula Mokonyane,  in days leading up to the meeting, described the NEC, under Ramaphosa, as the weakest in the party’s history.