PARLIAMENT has slammed opposition parties for calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to be impeached over the Phala Phala saga, labelling it premature and not consistent with rules.
This was in reaction to a call on Wednesday, 17 August, by political parties represented in Parliament for the impeachment of Ramaphosa whom they said was no longer fit to lead the country.
Ramaphosa has been under fire since June after it emerged that he was allegedly involved in the cover-up of a robbery at his Phala Phala Farm in Limpopo.
Opposition parties, led by the country’s official opposition party DA and the third biggest party EFF, have been calling for Ramaphosa to be held to account.
While the DA wants an ad hoc committee to first exhaust the matter, the EFF and other parties are going for the jugular and want the National Assembly to go straight to impeachment.
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said these parties were jumping the gun.
“The call by political parties for the establishment of the impeachment committee to investigate the Phala Phala matter is premature and inconsistent with the National Assembly rules and procedures. It is important that members understand these transparent processes in the rules so that South Africans are not misled,” said the speaker.
She also shot down allegations that the house was dragging its feet on the matter, saying there are processes already underway to hold the president to account.
She pointed out that currently the matter is waiting for the establishment of an independent panel to form part of the committee to probe Ramaphosa’s conduct.
This after a motion tabled by the African Transformation Movement was found to be compliant. It was first rejected by the speaker but now has been referred to a panel of experts.
Opposition parties have until 1 September to submit names of these individuals.
Mapisa-Nqakula welcomed the announcement by the opposition parties that they will be jointly and individually putting forward the names of former chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, former deputy chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke and retired judge Bernard Ngoepe.
The speaker explained the outcome of the probe by the committee would not be the final stop as this committee would only make recommendations that have to be taken to the National Assembly.
The committee will conduct a preliminary assessment of the motion and make recommendations to the house within 30 days for consideration and decision.
“As it was previously emphasised, the panel referral does not in any way constitute an impeachment process. The impeachment process, or a special Section 89 Committee, may only be established based on the findings and recommendations of the panel and following a decision by the house,” she said.
Another process she put forward to support her argument that the institution was not dragging its feet was the instruction to the crime intelligence committee to probe “specific” allegations related to the matter.
This was after a complaint by the DA.
Mapisa-Nqakula has since tasked the joint standing committee on intelligence to probe allegations that taxpayers’ money was used to pay a special task force to guard Ramaphosa’s farm.
