Parliament cannot base its decisions on rumours and hearsay evidence.

This is the assertion of ANC national executive committee (NEC) member and member of parliament (MP), Dr Mathole Motshekga in defence of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He was speaking as parliament will vote on December 6, on whether it will adopt a Section 89 report related to the Phala Phala scandal.

The independent panel set up by parliament based its findings on information and documentation provided by political parties and Arthur Fraser.

The latter had blown the whistle on the robbery at President Ramaphosa’s game farm, which was not reported to police.

Millions of foreign currency was allegedly stolen in the February 2020 incident.

Reaction to the report’s findings yesterday largely loomed around whether the president would step aside.

However, he remains in place, with the apparent support of his cabinet and ANC faction.

And for its part, the Good party has asserted that President Ramaphosa should not be bullied into resigning on the basis of the untested findings of the independent panel.

Meanwhile… political analyst, Professor Bheki Mngomezulu says that a question of morality may guide the NEC as it meets this afternoon.

The NEC is expected to determine how the ANC will handle the fallout of the Section 89 report related to the Phala Phala scandal, and the way it portrays the party leader.

Mngomezulu contends that the two ANC leadership candidates (Ramaphosa and Dr Zweli Mkhize) are facing allegations of corruption, yet no actual case has been leveled against them.

There is also concern about how these figures are viewed in the public eye.