Mbalula rejects Maimane’s bid to chair Phala Phala impeachment committee, labels him ‘man with one seat’

The ANC will not support Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane’s bid to chair Parliament’s impeachment committee investigating the Phala Phala scandal, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said on Monday.

ANC refusal and Mbalula’s criticism

Mbalula dismissed Maimane as a “man with one seat” and said the governing party would not back his appointment. He said the ANC was not entering the impeachment process to defend President Cyril Ramaphosa but was “guided by the Constitutional Court’s ruling.”

On Maimane’s role, Mbalula said:

“Where does this thing that Mmusi Maimane talks about and formulate an unfounded principle? I mean, Maimane has got ambitions to chair the committee. It’s all in his own right. He must come forward about it, and then I can tell you now we will not support it.”

Mbalula added:

“Mmusi Maimane is just formulating his own rules. I know he wants to chair the committee.”

He also said:

“He has made an overchoice to us, a man with one seat (in Parliament) We can also argue. We have given him more than what he can chew in that parliament, appropriation committee, and one seat.”

Committee background and composition

The committee was established following a Constitutional Court judgment directing Parliament to determine whether there are valid grounds to recommend President Cyril Ramaphosa’s removal from office over the theft of more than $580,000 at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in 2020.

The committee will hold its first meeting on Monday to elect a chairperson and begin proceedings. It is a 31-member committee that includes nine ANC representatives, five from the Democratic Alliance, three from the MK Party, two from the EFF, and 12 members from smaller parties, each holding one seat.

According to reports, the ANC is expected to nominate Doris Mpapane, who chairs Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on the Presidency.

Opposition views and BOSA’s position

Opposition parties have argued that the chairperson should come from a smaller party to ensure neutrality. Earlier on Monday, BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons said the committee should be led by someone with legal competence and a strong understanding of the issues.

Solomons was quoted:

“(The chair should be someone) in pursuit of getting the facts, and not partisan. The question on the table is whether there’s a serious breach of the Constitution, and that must be the (central) question, not whether or not they want the president to be impeached. For example, the ANC would never want its own president to be impeached.”

When asked if Maimane would be open to chairing the committee, Solomons said he would be available for the role, pointing to his parliamentary experience and ability to work across parties.

Ramaphosa’s court challenge and the independent panel report

Last week, President Ramaphosa approached the Western Cape High Court to challenge the Phala Phala independent panel report that found he may have violated the Constitution and abused his position. The report, compiled in 2022 by an independent panel chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, concluded there was prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa may have committed serious misconduct linked to the Phala Phala farm scandal.

In court papers, Ramaphosa said the panel relied on hearsay, misunderstood its powers and used questionable evidence to reach damaging conclusions. He said:

“Save for the limited evidence I introduced in my response, there was no evidence before the panel.”

Ramaphosa also questioned how confidential Namibian police documents and an audio recording ended up before the panel, warning the information may have been obtained unlawfully.