On Tuesday night, members of Parliament (MPs) discussed a letter from suspended African National Congress (ANC) MP Mervyn Dirks, who complained to the committee that Ramaphosa turned a blind eye to corruption relating to the funding of ANC election campaigns.
Parliamentary legal advisors have told Scopa that while it is not the mandate of the committee to look into the conduct of the president, there was nothing prohibiting members from calling in relevant government departments to be questioned.
The advisors said that issuing a summons was a last resort.
But Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said that a written statement from Ramaphosa would help the committee a great deal.
“A written submission by the president enables the committee to plan correctly for hearings. So there is a need for us to receive either a statement, explanation or an affidavit from the president,” Hlengwa said.
While Dirks has been replaced in the committee following his suspension, Scopa still allowed him to brief MPs about his letter.
He saw nothing wrong with what he’d done.
“Section 48 of the Constitution obliges each one of us as members of the National Assembly to affirm our faithfulness to the republic and obedience to the Constitution. My submission must not be seen as a betrayal of my party,” Dirks said.
Image (Under Pressure. Pres Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa faces allegations on the abuse of State funds).
