There is a very intriguing aspect of the Section 89 report into the Phala Phala matter which, very surprisingly, seems to have been missed by all concerned with the matter of the president himself to his detractors.
The report, which it must be emphasised once again, was not an investigation into the guilt or in innocence of President Ramaphosa. It was a preliminary inquiry to find out if he had a case to answer to and has contrary to the view that it had condemned him, actually threw him a lifeline.
If the panel had concluded to the contrary that he had nothing to answer for, this could have opened a can of worms which he would have found very difficult to control.
For one, clearly his detractors would have raised a lot of noise and applied intense pressure in condemning the report, even going to the extent of challenging it in court given the passion it raises in most of them. Ramaphosa would have found himself in a very difficult position, because he would not seek to justify his innocence when the report had concluded that he had nothing to answer for.
But politically, he would then have lost the chance to really explain himself to the nation as to what went on with this Phala Phala matter. The public would have been none the wiser, and the suspicion that the panel was a whitewash would have stubbornly refused to go away and lingered in circumstances where he had no compulsion to explain what happened.
But to his favour – which he may not even realise – he has challenged its conclusions, and he can then then fully account to the South African public what exactly in his version is the true state of affairs.
For his detractors, what they do not understand is that this where he might – if something nefarious went on – trip himself in providing these explanations, as the nation is now holding its breath and rightfully expecting him to explain himself which he cannot dare avoid because he has clearly said the report is flawed.
Now the ball is in his court: fully account and explain what the truth is.
* Dr Thabisi Hoeane, Pretoria.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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