Keeping Phala Phala report secret undermines fight against impunity
It appears the ghost of Phala Phala continues to haunt President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Recently ActionSA, which has appeared to be amenable to the flattery of the ANC, seems to have turned on Ramaphosa in its plight for relevance.
In a statement released on Monday, ActionSA announced it has formally submitted an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) to obtain the Independent Police Investigative Directorate's (Ipid) report on the theft at Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm. The Herman Mashaba-led party has threatened to take the matter to the high court if necessary.
ActionSA's agenda comes after the recent response to parliament by police minister Senzo Mchunu when he claimed the report was classified top secret and could not be released to the public.
According to Mchunu, Ipid completed an investigation into the Phala Phala saga in October 2023.
The reaction by political parties has been warranted. While political parties have used the Phala Phala saga to leverage for votes, one cannot argue against the validity of their arguments.
Political parties have for years indicated how every law enforcement agency has failed to hold either the president or those involved accountable.
They have called Mchunu's 'top secret' classification of the report an insult to democracy.
The EFF said: 'The classification of the Ipid report as 'top secret' is the latest chapter in the systematic cover-up. Parliament has a duty to oversee the executive, but it is being rendered powerless by a government that protects its leader at all costs. The EFF will not stand by while Ramaphosa continues to evade justice.'
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