Rise Mzansi Member of Parliament Makashule Gana has been elected as the chairperson of the newly formed 31-member Impeachment Committee.
This follows a Constitutional Court ruling that supported the Section 89 Independent Panel report, calling for the formation of a committee to allow President Cyril Ramaphosa to respond to some of the prima facie evidence regarding the theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala farm in 2020.
Ahead of the election, various political parties, including the Government of National Unity (GNU) partners, said they want National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to be recused from overseeing the impeachment process.
These parties have indicated that they would put forward a name from their own ranks.
African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyo Zungula explains why they want Didiza recused from the impeachment process.
“The Monday after the Friday on which the judgment was issued, the speaker met with the legal advisors, not only of the ANC, but also of other people whom we view that were going to taint the process. So with that being said, we agreed that we are going to move for the recusal of the speaker for this process, for this particular oversight of the impeachment committee.”
Zungula also said the parties do not want the committee to be chaired by an African National Congress member of Parliament.
“We view the ANC as having already taken a posture and a decision to protect the president. They voted against processing the report in 2022. Immediately after that, there was also another engagement where they were very clear that they were going to protect the president, in which our view is counter to what we’re trying to achieve, because what we want to achieve is a process of getting the truth and that requires someone outside of the ANC.”
-Additional reporting by Zalene Merrington
