'Ramaphosa is not above the law'

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:05]EFF leader Julius Malema says President Cyril Ramaphosa must take the high road and resign following the Constitutional Court judgement in the Palapala matter. So impeachment process is like Matamela commission, it's like ad hoc commission where Cyril is going to be called and he's going to be put on the seat there and he's going to be asked where did you get the dollars?

[00:00:32]How did you bring the dollars into South Africa?

[00:00:36]Why did you put them into the sofas?

[00:00:40]So I'm going to be in that committee because we want to go and see the sofas where the money was there at Palapala because Palapala is a crime scene.

[00:00:53]One Johannesburg resident believes that President is a decent leader with a clear political conscious.

[00:00:59]I believe Mr. President is a very honorable man. He will able to account of whatever the the accusation has been found with him. So we we we we believe he will cooperate fully so that the the justice can be served to each across the the the is allegation.

[00:01:24]Some citizens believe the President has failed to take responsibility for his own actions. Uh my point of view is we can't trust any of them.

[00:01:34]We should really just have this whole Palapala thing opened again and let's tell people need to take accountability for what they do.

[00:01:44]I mean no one is being held accountable and then people who are get getting caught with petty crimes are being locked up but nothing seems to happen to the MPs so I don't have any faith in them. Members of Parliament have also been criticized for failing to hold the president accountable.

[00:02:02]One citizen, however, still has faith in the National Assembly. He says, "Parliament has the capacity and political will to hold any leader accountable, including the president."

[00:02:14]I think there are people there are politicians who are liable to to the people. There are politicians who hold the state accountable by being involved by being in offices by being around those circles. So, I believe they do use that power and opportunity and that advantage of being there in those powerful positions. And I believe with experiences they have an influence to change things and make things happen to the people. Meanwhile, the President Cyril Ramaphosa says he respects the Constitutional Court judgment and reaffirms his commitment to the Constitution.

[00:02:50]For Newsroom Africa on Channel 405, I'm Zine Khumalo in Johannesburg.