[ad_1]
Brian Sokutu
President Cyril Ramaphosa announces a move to Level 1. Image: The Citizen
“Opposition MPs are calling for greater clarity and, as usual, looking for ways to embarrass the president and government,” says political economy analyst Daniel Silke.
As the recent irregular trip by ANC heavyweights to Zimbabwe, facilitated by Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, continues to haunt President Cyril Ramaphosa in parliament, a prominent political economy analyst says the incident took Ramaphosa down. unprepared.
Commenting on Ramaphosa’s oral responses to questions from Democratic Alliance (DA) MPs Cathlene Labuschagne and Armand Benjamin Cloete at the National Council of Provinces yesterday, Daniel Silke said that in getting to the bottom of the procedural irregularities surrounding the trip, the opposition party MPs sought to embarrass the president.
“Opposition MPs are asking for more clarity and, as usual, are looking for ways to embarrass the president and the government. There are procedural issues that need to be clarified regarding the handling of the matter during the confinement, the financial aspects and the use of state resources by a political party.
“It will all come down to the role of the president, with the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s report seemingly putting the matter to rest. The question is if she [Mkhwebane] she is willing to take on wrongdoing and blame the president, or if she thinks it might be wise for her to find a middle ground to resolve the problem, “Silke said.
Responding to Labuschagne’s question about when he was informed of the flight and for what reasons he approved the trip, Ramaphosa reiterated that he verbally approved the Mapisa-Nqakula trip in September, as he was out of Gauteng, and then gave his consent in writing.
Ramaphosa said: “The reason was that he was going to have a bilateral deal with his counterpart in Zimbabwe. The trip had to deal with security issues in the region and belonging to a member state of the SADC (Southern African Development Community) “.
Mapisa-Nqakula was reprimanded for using a South African Air Force jet to transport the ANC delegation to Zimbabwe. When asked by Cloete if the trip, during the lockdown, violated disaster regulations that prohibit foreign travel, Ramaphosa said the public protector’s investigation process was still ongoing on that matter.
For more news your way, download The Citizen app to iOS Y Android.
[ad_2]
