Pretoria – Opposition party, Congress of the People (Cope) has now separated from the majority of South African opposition parties, by rejecting the widespread calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign in the wake of a damning report on the Phala Phala scandal.
Dogged by infighting, characterised by physical exchange of blows, Cope national spokesperson Dennis Bloem said his party welcomes the decision announced by Ramaphosa, to take the report on legal review.
“We reiterate what we said before that the allegations against President Ramaphosa are very serious, and President Ramaphosa must answer all the questions coming from the Phala Phala robbery. That is the only way to clear his name,” Bloem said.
“Cope acknowledged the Independent Panel Report that was handed over to the Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.
“Cope welcomes the decision of President Ramaphosa to take the report for legal review. We believe it is his democratic right to do so.”
Bloem said Cope refuses to support the “Nkandla tea party agenda” which seeks to get rid of Ramaphosa.
“We are not going to be hoodwinked by thugs who want to remove President Ramaphosa. Cope will not be populists but will act in the best interest of the country and not in the interest of thugs who want to further destroy our beloved country,” Bloem said.
“Many of these thieves in the ANC who scream that President Ramaphosa must resign, know very well that the doors of prison are slowly opening for them, and they must do everything possible to remove President Ramaphosa from office.”
Bloem said once Ramaphosa is removed from office, finding of the judicial commission led by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo would be “thrown out of the window”.
On Sunday, Ramaphosa was recused from attending the ANC’s 20-member national working committee meeting under way in Nasrec in the south of Joburg.
The national executive committee of the ruling is set to meet today, to deliberate on the recommendations of the national working committee.
IOL