Former president Thabo Mbeki has suggested that the African National Congress (ANC) used its majority in Parliament to vote against any investigations into the Phala Phala saga because it suspects that President Cyril Ramaphosa has done something wrong. He added that the ANC wanted to protect Ramaphosa "at all costs".

The comments are contained in an explosive 17-page letter, dated 29 March, that Mbeki wrote to ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile.

The former statesman said the ANC had to be honest with itself. In the scathing letter, Mbeki asked why the ANC in Parliament had blocked any investigation into the Phala Phala saga, which he likened to the "Nkandla matter" involving former president Jacob Zuma.

He cited the ANC's decision in December to use its majority in the National Assembly to vote against the establishment of an impeachment committee following the report of an independent panel which found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer on the matter.

Former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer regarding the break-in and theft of US$ 580 000 (about R10-million) from his game farm Phala Phala in February 2020.

But the ANC used its majority in Parliament to block an inquiry into the saga.

"I would assume that as ANC members we would assume that our president would not do and has not done anything impeachable," Mbeki wrote.

He said it was puzzling that ANC MPs had voted against the establishment of a committee when it would "exactly establish that our president has not done anything impeachable".

"Or are we saying that we suspect or know that he has done something impeachable and therefore decided that we must protect our president at all costs by ensuring that no MPC is formed?" asked Mbeki.

He further questioned why the ANC used its majority in Parliament again last week to vote against the formation of an ad hoc committee to investigate the same matter in a motion brought by the DA.

"I would presume that as ANC members we would assume that our president would not do and has not done anything which Parliament should not investigate in the course of the discharge of its constitutional duties.

"What message are we communicating to the masses of our people about the values and integrity of the ANC?" he asked.

Mbeki warned that the actions of the ANC regarding the Phala Phala issue had the potential of alienating the party from the "masses of our people".

The former president said he had written to Mashatile because Ramaphosa had previously excused himself from discussing the Phala Phala matter in ANC meetings.