Leaked Phala Phala report, consequences for president and predicament for retired arms deal judges

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This week on the Politics Weekly we reflect on the public protector’s leaked preliminary report, which seems to have exonerated President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal. We also look at public accountability of our judges, and why it seems to take so long to bring them to book when they stray.
Joining us for this episode of the Politics Weekly is Franny Rabkin (Sunday Times legal correspondent) and Dr Fikile Vilakazi (who teaches politics at the University of the Western Cape).
The long-awaited public protector Kholeka Gcaleka’s report on Phala Phala has largely cleared president Ramaphosa, while heaping most of the blame for the debacle on his head of protection services, Maj-Gen Wally Rhoode. The panel discuss the report and other agencies inquiring on the Farmgate saga.
Rabkin enlightens us on the legal aspects of the report and others inquiring about the robbery at president’s farm, while Vilakazi gives a political assessment.
The discussion concludes with the panel inspecting retired arms deal inquiry judges Willie Seriti and Hendricks Musi’s predicament as they challenge the constitutionality of the Judicial Service Act.
Producer: Bulelani Nonyukela.
16 Mar 2023 English South Africa Politics · News Commentary

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