Opposition parties push to block ANC from chairing Phala Phala impeachment committee

Opposition unity against ANC chair nomination

Several opposition parties on the 31-member committee have signalled they do not want the chairperson to come from the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC holds nine seats on the committee, while the Democratic Alliance (DA) has five, the MK Party three, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) two and 12 smaller parties have one seat each.

According to reports, the ANC is expected to nominate Doris Mpapane as its nominee. Party spokespeople and committee members say talks are continuing and that they prefer the chairperson to be drawn from the opposition or a smaller party to preserve the committee’s perceived independence.

What opposition parties are saying

DA spokesperson Jan de Villiers said the DA has “from the outset said that we don’t think it’s a good idea that the ANC gets a chairperson position” and added:

“Neither will we push for ourselves to be the chairperson. The negotiations, which will continue until tomorrow (Monday), will be about who would be the best independent and objective chairperson for the committee.”

Vuyo Zungula, president of the ATM, said the chairperson must be from the opposition and referenced a longer-standing principle dating to the Nkandla ad hoc committee. Zungula said:

“A party that has signed the Statement of Intent and is part of the GNU will be conflicted.”

Build One South Africa (BOSA) spokesperson Roger Solomons said the committee should be chaired by someone who demonstrates legal competence and a focus on establishing the facts rather than partisan aims. He said:

“It cannot be chaired by the ANC or, in particular, members who are sitting within the GNU. We think that the opposition must be able to chair that.”

Solomons added that BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane would be available for the role given his parliamentary experience.

Internal talks and expectations ahead of the vote

RISE Mzansi chief whip and committee member Makashule Gana said conversations were ongoing and expressed confidence that parties “who have found each other in terms of the best candidate to chair the committee” would reach a sufficient consensus before the meeting. He described the period before the vote as delicate, saying:

“The phones are ringing, the conversations are ongoing, and permutations are being considered.”

Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said he believes the ANC will push to retain the chairpersonship. Seepe said President Ramaphosa is “a desperate man” and suggested the ANC would use its leverage to try to ensure an ANC member chairs the committee. He said:

“Because once you are a chairperson, you have leverage in terms of directing the discussion. You have leverage in giving weight to certain things.”

Next steps

The committee is due to meet at 2pm on Monday to elect a chairperson and to finalise its terms of reference before commencing its work. Negotiations among parties are expected to continue up to the start of the meeting.