JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress's (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) said it will not be recalling its president, Cyril Ramaphosa, over last week's Constitutional Court judgment.
This was revealed by the party's Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, during a media briefing on Friday after having held a special NEC meeting.
The court ruled Ramaphosa should face impeachment over the controversial Phala Phala farm saga.
READ | 'I will not resign': Ramaphosa
But after a special ANC NEC meeting, Mbalula said the party has resolved that while it fully respects the Apex Court's decision, its president isn't going anywhere.
"Resignation was not on the table. None of those matters were on the table. The National Executive Committee reaffirmed in clear and unambiguous terms that its full and continuing support for the President of the African National Congress, Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa, as the leader of this movement and in that capacity as the leader of the Government of National Unity," Mbalula said.
This week, Ramaphosa announced that he would take the independent panel report on Phala Phala under review.
READ | Opposition parties slam Ramaphosa's Phala Phala review move
He said that he does not do so out of disrespect for Parliament or its processes, but to affirm the need for such findings to be correct in law and in fact
Mbalula said Ramaphosa, like any citizen of the country, has the right to a fair hearing and the right to seek judicial review where it is available to him.
"After receiving and carefully considering the Senior Council opinion, the National Executive Committee has recorded our unanimous support for the President's decision to lodge that review application," Mbalula said.