The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) rejects the misleading narrative being advanced that the ANC’s failure to appoint members to the Section 89 Impeachment Committee is the result of internal disagreements between Fikile Mbalula and ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli. This narrative is not only dishonest but appears to be a deliberate political smokescreen designed to conceal the ANC’s intentional obstruction of Parliament’s constitutional obligations.
The real issue is not ANC infighting. The real issue is that the ANC is refusing to deploy members to the impeachment committee because it seeks to delay and frustrate the work of the committee itself.
The committee arises from the Constitutional Court judgment directing Parliament to properly implement Section 89 of the Constitution following its unlawful handling of the Phala Phala matter. In terms of Rules 129J and 129K of the National Assembly Rules, the Speaker must constitute an impeachment committee reflective of party representation in Parliament in order for the inquiry process to commence.
By withholding its nominees, the ANC is deliberately undermining the implementation of Section 89 and frustrating the lawful functioning of Parliament. The ANC knows fully well that without the formal constitution of the committee, its work cannot effectively begin.
It is therefore impossible to ignore reports that Speaker Thoko Didiza recently met with ANC leaders and legal representatives who previously defended Cyril Ramaphosa in the Constitutional Court on the Phala Phala matter. Any reasonable observer would conclude that the current delays are part of a broader political strategy to shield Ramaphosa from accountability and to weaken the impeachment process before it even begins.
The ANC is once again proving that it will manipulate Parliament, abuse procedure and manufacture confusion whenever accountability threatens those in power.
The EFF demands the immediate constitution of the impeachment committee and reiterates that no political party, including the ANC, has the authority to obstruct Parliament from exercising its constitutional duty to hold the President accountable.
In the 2019 elections, the EFF increased its support to 10.8%, winning 44 seats in the National Assembly.
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Ozzie Treat
Fun South African Fact: South Africa is home to the highest commercial bungi jump in the world at 710 feet.