Ramaphosa impeachment committee risks stalling as procedural fights loom

Parliament faces procedural gridlock as Phala Phala impeachment committee is formed

Parliament is racing to reconstitute its inquiry into the Phala Phala scandal, but legal and procedural disagreements risk delaying hearings for months before any evidence is heard.

Deadline and committee set up

Political parties have until 22 May to submit the names of MPs who will serve on the committee established to reconsider evidence linked to the theft of foreign currency from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. Speaker Thoko Didiza has established a 31-member committee to decide whether the president is fit to hold office following a Constitutional Court ruling that forced Parliament to revive the impeachment process.

Procedural disputes threaten to slow the inquiry

Despite pressure to move quickly, MPs say the inquiry is already being bogged down by arguments over rules, procedures and legal process. A parliamentary rules sub-committee received legal advice from Adv. Andrew Breitenbach, who warned MPs they did not have the luxury of time but also set out a long list of procedural issues that must be resolved first.

Key issues still under discussion

Among the matters MPs are still debating are:

• whether the committee should appoint an evidence leader;
• how witnesses will be selected and questioned;
• what format the hearings will take; and
• how public participation will be included.

Warnings of long delays

The legal and procedural uncertainty has triggered frustration inside Parliament. MK Party’s Mzwanele Manyi warned the process could effectively collapse under delays.

“It means that nothing is going to happen for the rest of this year,”

Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana said Parliament risked wasting months on the debating process instead of dealing with the allegations, saying they could spend three to six months on the process itself.

Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader George Michalakis warned that delays would damage Parliament’s credibility and fuel public distrust.

“I will be dead by the time this impeachment hearing happens”.

Next steps

Political parties are expected to submit proposed rules for the inquiry by Tuesday, while the rules sub-committee is scheduled to meet again next Friday as Parliament seeks to resolve the outstanding procedural questions before hearings begin.

At the centre of the matter are allegations about the theft of US dollars hidden at Ramaphosa’s Limpopo farm, which prompted the Constitutional Court ruling and renewed pressure on Parliament to hold the president accountable.