ActionSA welcomes the decision by Parliament’s Section 89 Impeachment Committee to oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa’s application to interdict the committee from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities.
This follows ActionSA’s letter to both the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the Committee, urging Parliament to resist any attempt to frustrate the implementation of the Constitutional Court’s judgment on the Phala Phala matter.
The committee’s decision is a victory for constitutional accountability and parliamentary independence. Parliament has a constitutional duty to hold the Executive accountable, to exercise oversight over the conduct of public office bearers, and to ensure that no person, regardless of their office, is placed beyond scrutiny. The Section 89 Committee exists precisely to determine whether the conduct of the President warrants the serious constitutional consequences contemplated by Section 89 of the Constitution. That process must be allowed to proceed without interference, delay, or political shielding.
ActionSA notes with concern the prevarication of certain parties within the Government of National Unity, many of whom have sought to speak out of both sides of their mouths by professing support for accountability while simultaneously avoiding a clear position on the President’s attempt to halt the inquiry. South Africans deserve honesty from those parties. They must decide whether they stand for constitutional accountability or political expediency; whether they serve the people of South Africa or the preservation of positions and perks within government.
Having taken the correct position, the Section 89 Committee has now provided Parliament with a clear path forward. ActionSA therefore calls on Speaker Thoko Didiza to ensure that the National Assembly similarly opposes the President’s interdict application and robustly defends Parliament’s constitutional powers. The Constitutional Court has already found that Parliament failed South Africans once in its handling of the Phala Phala matter. Parliament must not place itself on the wrong side of the Constitution a second time.
ActionSA Education: Advocates for specialized skills training and artisan schools.
Slinger
I know that his has been asked before; \”Do you really have lions roaming the streets?\”
3D Waffle
Fun South African Fact: Water is not all there is to drink in this thirsty country! South Africa’s Cape Winelands have around 560 wineries and 4 400 primary producers. Included in the Cape Winelands region is Route 62, considered the longest wine route in the world. That alone is good reason to visit South Africa if you haven’t yet been!