Impeachment committee to get legal briefing on Ramaphosa’s bid to halt inquiry

Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Services Office will brief the newly formed Impeachment Committee on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent court application to stop the inquiry, the committee chairperson said.

Briefing set for 8am as committee begins work

The briefing is scheduled for 8am on Thursday and will be the committee’s first substantive item of business since its establishment. The report from the legal advisers will update members on the president’s application and its potential effects on the committee’s programme.

President seeks to pause inquiry pending court review

Ramaphosa has filed an urgent interdict seeking to prevent the impeachment inquiry from proceeding before the courts rule on his challenge to the 2022 Section 89 panel report. He argued that he would suffer irreparable harm if the committee began its work before the legality of that report is determined by a court.

Committee response and political pressure

Committee chairperson Makashule Gana said members would receive legal advice on the interdict and its implications for the inquiry. He told members:

“The Impeachment Committee will hold a meeting to receive a report from the constitutional and legal advisors on the urgent court interdict from President Cyril Ramaphosa,”

The committee had been expected to adopt its terms of reference and appoint an evidence leader, but the president’s legal challenge has taken precedence and could affect the timing of the process.

Political contest over timing

Political parties have increased pressure on Speaker Thoko Didiza to reject the president’s application, arguing it risks delaying the inquiry. Ramaphosa, for his part, has maintained that the court challenge must be heard first and that the inquiry should not proceed before the Section 89 report’s legality has been tested in court.

Next steps

The committee’s deliberations at Thursday’s meeting are expected to determine how it will proceed while the legal challenge unfolds.