Early this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa heads to Indonesia for a Group of 20 (G20) summit with two ministers and a begging bowl.
Ramaphosa, finance minister Enoch Godongwana and his international relations counterpart Naledi Pandor will join world leaders for a G20 summit in Bali on Tuesday and Wednesday.
They will discuss global challenges regarding food, energy, health and digital technology. According to a statement from the presidency, Ramaphosa will call for “substantial financial support” to developing countries for food security.
He is also expected to raise the “onerous” commitments placed on developing countries regarding the phasing out of fossil fuels, which may negatively affect the poor.
SA needs an estimated R1.5-trillion within five years to meet global low-carbon energy goals, and is looking to developed countries such as Germany and France for loans, along with grants.
Later in the week, an independent panel appointed by National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to consider whether an impeachment vote against Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala farm scandal is necessary, will submit a report to parliament. Retired justice Sandile Ngcobo leads the panel that also includes retired judge Thokozile Masipa and advocate Mahlape Sello.
The scandal has provided political fodder to the president’s opponents within and outside the ANC, with most calling for his resignation.
“If he is charged the president will gladly step aside,” presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said on Sunday. The president denies he is guilty of breeching his oath of office, lawbreaking or wrongdoing over an alleged cover-up of a 2020 robbery in which a gang stole a large sum of US dollars in cash.
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the report was due on November 15. Vuyo Zungula, head of the ATM party which tabled motion, said he expected a copy by Thursday.
“These allegations are very damning because the president is accused of serious crimes such as money laundering, tax evasion, kidnapping, torturing, etc,” he said.
Phala Phala preoccupied the ANC’s highest decisionmakers at the weekend’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting. Ramaphosa broached the topic head-on in his opening speech. But members, including co-operative governance & traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma urged him to step aside.
Dlamini Zuma is among party leaders taking on Ramaphosa to lead the ANC.
“Beyond the scope of the panel there are going to be much more acute implications for the president to deal with, even if he wins a second term. This time it’s much more fluid and unpredictable,” political analyst Sanusha Naidu said.
Meanwhile, ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont and provincial chair Lerato Ngobeni will hold a media briefing on Ekurhuleni metro’s power play on Monday. Last week, the DA’s Tania Campbell returned as mayor after a successful motion of no confidence against her last month. The party is said to have issues about how the coalition is running in the metro.
Beaumont said ActionSA would “step back” from the mayoral committee over “serious concerns about how that government is functioning” with the coalition.
“We do not want to be in a minor coalition that is dictated to by a larger party. Our coalition partners are going to have to work a bit harder for our vote so that we can ensure service delivery.”
On Wednesday in parliament, MPs will pose questions to Godongwana, communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, labour minister Thulas Nxesi and agriculture minister Thoko Didiza, among others.
Issues likely to be raised range from the basic fuel levy, Postbank’s future, the national energy crisis committee and the risk of pesticides to public health.
Other question and answer topics include coal mining, farm murders, fishing rights, food insecurity, Godongwana’s medium-term budget policy statement, the Ingonyama Trust, land restitution, load-shedding, the SABC’s board, unpaid TV licences and youth unemployment.
Finally, the Public Servants Association (PSA) expects the government’s response to its demands before the week is out. It has threatened a full-blown strike if their demands for 10% salary increases are not met.
On Thursday, PSA members marched nationwide over the unilateral 3% wage offer for more than 1.3-million public servants. At more than R660bn, staff costs account for more than a third of government spending.
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