Trouble Continues For Ramaphosa As impeachment committee to sit for first time

For the first time in South Africa’s democratic history, a committee established to consider impeaching a president will sit on Monday.

The 31-member committee will only have one order of business: to elect a chairperson.

The impeachment committee was established a week ago after the Constitutional Court in May compelled Parliament to take steps to consider misconduct allegations against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

This relates to events that unfolded at his Phala Phala farm in 2020 following the theft of more than half a million United States (US) dollars that had been stuffed in a couch.

A decision by the African National Congress (ANC) majority to vote down a 2022 report that suggested Parliament hold an impeachment inquiry is now coming back to haunt the institution.

Despite Ramaphosa last week applying for that report to be put under judicial review, Parliament will be sticking to the instructions of the Constitutional Court and the House rules that require a committee to hold its first meeting within five working days of being established.

However, it’s not expected that the committee will get down to any serious business soon.

Last week, political parties were still to submit proposals on how such a committee should conduct its business.

Parliament’s 2017 impeachment rules only broadly outline the process, but do not specify how an inquiry should be carried out.

It’s unclear whether the ANC will be scrambling to chair the committee, with some party members ostensibly reluctant to prosecute its own president.
Opposition parties will no doubt be champing at the bit to nominate their own candidate to ensure the president is not shielded from full accountability.

And, if they band together, they could get their way, despite the ANC’s majority on the committee.