Parliament sets 31-member impeachment committee after Phala Phala ConCourt ruling

Speaker asks parties to name representatives for impeachment committee

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, has moved to establish an Impeachment Committee following the Constitutional Court judgment on the Phala Phala panel report. Political parties have been asked to submit nominees by the close of business on Friday, 22 May 2026.

How the committee will be composed

The Speaker said she consulted with Chief Whips and party representatives about how the committee should be made up, noting the process is new territory for Parliament. In deciding the committee’s composition she considered the constitutional principle of proportional representation alongside the aim of ensuring inclusivity and broad participation.

The committee will have 31 members drawn from the 16 parties represented in the National Assembly, allocated as follows: ANC (9); DA (5); MKP (3); EFF (2); IFP (1); PA (1); FF Plus (1); ActionSA (1); ACDP (1); UDM (1); RISE Mzansi (1); BOSA (1); ATM (1); Al-Jama-ah (1); NCC (1); UAT (1).

Rules and next steps

Didiza has referred the Constitutional Court judgment to the National Assembly Subcommittee on the Review of Rules to consider amendments required to the Rules of the National Assembly.

Background: the Phala Phala panel and the ConCourt ruling

On 30 November 2022, an independent panel led by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo found there was prima facie evidence that President Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated sections of the Constitution and PRECCA in relation to a burglary at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo.

When the National Assembly voted on the panel report on 13 December 2022, a majority of MPs voted against adopting it: 214 voted no, 148 voted yes, with two abstentions. The EFF and ATM challenged that vote in the Constitutional Court.

On 8 May, the Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament acted irrationally in rejecting the referral of the Section 89 panel report to an impeachment committee and set aside the parliamentary vote, clearing the way for an impeachment process to proceed.

What the Speaker said

“In determining the composition of the Impeachment Committee, the Speaker considered not only the constitutional principle of proportional representation but also the need for inclusivity and broad participation in this unprecedented parliamentary process. Accordingly, the determination seeks to balance traditional proportional representation with a measure of inclusivity, so as to ensure that smaller political parties – which may otherwise not be accommodated through a strict mathematical application of proportional representation – are also afforded representation and participation in the Committee’s work.”

Timing and participation

Following Thursday’s engagements with party leaders, the National Assembly Secretariat must receive the names of members who will serve on the committee by the close of business on 22 May 2026.

Context: The move follows the Constitutional Court judgment and is framed as the next step under section 89 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.