‘You need painkillers, lapainelwa’: Mbalula tells critics calling for Ramaphosa to resign

05 December 2022 - 10:00
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ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula says the party's president 'will not be sacrificed'. File photo.
ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula says the party's president 'will not be sacrificed'. File photo.
Image: File/ Supplied

“You need painkillers, lapainelwa (you are in pain).” 

So said ANC head of elections and transport minister Fikile Mbalula to critics calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign. 

Mbalula said the ANC “will never dump” Ramaphosa after findings against him by a section 89 independent panel looking into the Phala Phala saga.

LISTEN | Phala phala report and its significance

According to the panel, Ramaphosa may have committed a serious violation of the law and serious misconduct in terms of the constitution.

Ramaphosa has maintained his innocence and his spokesperson said he will take the independent panel report on judicial review.

“We will never dump Ramaphosa, never ever. He is our president,” said Mbalula.

“Let me sing for my supper: the ANC president will not be sacrificed, period. He is my president and the president of the people of South Africa.”

Mbalula also took a swipe at ANC national executive committee (NEC) members who air their views outside the committee. 

“NEC members who have the platform to air their views in NEC meetings and deliberately decide to air their views outside the NEC platform are demonstrating an act of ill-discipline. There’s absolutely no need for them to speak outside the NEC meeting,” he said.

Minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele said calls for Ramaphosa to step down were the “noise of criminals masquerading” as defenders. 

“We are confronted with the noise of criminals masquerading as the defenders of the ANC attempting to drown the president’s pursuit of malfeasance in our country. They are going to lose, I am certain.”

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