Johannesburg – Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele has pleaded with South Africans to give President Cyril Ramaphosa time to process the Section 89 independent panel report delivered by retired former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo.
The report that found that Ramaphosa has a prima facie case to answer in the Phala Phala farm robbery has become the biggest talking point across the country.
Gungubele briefed the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting, which was held on Wednesday, and took time to discuss the improving unemployment rate figures as well as the “elephant in the room”, the Section 89 independent panel report, which has delivered a blow to Ramaphosa’s campaign for a second term.
He confirmed that Ramaphosa would address the nation on Thursday regarding the Section 89 Independent Panel of Experts report on the Phala Phala farm saga.
The minister told journalists in Cape Town that Ramaphosa was going through the damning report, which has caused Ramaphosa to move back some of his official engagements for today.
On Wednesday, an independent panel of experts appointed by National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula released its findings into the theft of foreign currency at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in Bela-Bela over two years ago.
The panel found that Ramaphosa, who has denied any wrongdoing, including violating his oath of office and the Constitution, may have a case to answer over claims of money laundering, kidnapping, and corruption related to the 2020 robbery.
When asked how the president was, Gungubele said he was fine.
“The fact that he was able to issue a statement yesterday and express his view on the matter thus far, and committed that he is studying the findings, he also expressed the predicament it has placed the country in … He also said an announcement is going to be made in due course,” said Gungubele.
“Our attitude is that we should respect that exercise. These are not findings you can easily wake up and say, this is what I think. We respect that,” Gungubele said, adding that he could not predict the future of the president.
“The point I want to make is that, up to this point, the president has respected the laws of this country. He subjected himself to this process up to this point. We have not seen anything untoward as far as the laws of this country are concerned… The president said he will make a pronouncement in due course.
“I know at times, when these developments occur, there is an attempt to make us some prophets, trying to do fortune-telling. Let us await the president,” he said.
Gungubele, who went through the Cabinet statement on a variety of issues, including employment statistics from the quarterly labour force survey, said the country’s unemployment rate had improved in the third quarter.
“The Cabinet welcomes the results of the quarterly labour force survey, which indicates that more than 204 000 jobs were gained between the second and third quarters. That translates to net gains in two successive quarters.
“If you remember, the quarter preceding this one had almost 648 000 jobs, meaning that in spite of all the difficulties our economy is resilient.
“The survey also revealed that the total number of people employed in the third quarter of 2022 was 15.8 million, and that number has risen. This means that the official unemployment rate has decreased by 1%,” he said.
The Star