Impeachment inquiry into Ramaphosa begins in Parliament

Ramaphosa

Cape Town – Parliament has officially initiated the impeachment process against Cyril Ramaphosa following last week’s Constitutional Court ruling that found the National Assembly acted unlawfully when it blocked an impeachment inquiry in 2022 over the Phala Phala scandal.

Speaker of Parliament Thoko Didiza announced that Parliament will immediately begin implementing the court order by republishing the 2022 Section 89 panel report in parliamentary journals and formally presenting a copy to Ramaphosa.

Didiza will also establish a multi-party impeachment committee made up of representatives from all 18 political parties in Parliament to investigate the allegations against the president, EWN reported.

She will determine the size of the committee, its programme and the timeframe for completing its work.

Parliament must also amend the impeachment rules declared unconstitutional by the apex court.

Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the Constitutional Court judgment would be referred to the National Assembly’s rules subcommittee to process the required amendments.

The Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament’s previous impeachment rules allowed the ANC majority to improperly block an inquiry into Ramaphosa’s conduct linked to the 2020 theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala game farm.

Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing.

Although the impeachment committee will investigate the matter and produce findings, Parliament’s rules do not make its recommendations binding on the National Assembly when MPs eventually vote on whether to impeach the president.

Picture: X/@SAgovnews

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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