The African National Congress has confirmed readiness for the National Assembly to establish an Impeachment Committee, with proceedings expected to commence on Monday to elect a chairperson and begin its mandated responsibilities.
ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli stated that the committee was established to investigate allegations of misconduct against President Cyril Ramaphosa. However, Ntuli explained that the committee’s immediate next steps would depend on legal guidance expected to be provided by the Speaker of Parliament regarding the implications of the President’s recent court intervention.
According to Ntuli, National Assembly rules require that once a committee is formally constituted, it must proceed to its first meeting to elect a chairperson. “The reason why the NA can avoid that is because its own rules dictate that once the committee has been set up, it must proceed to its first meeting and elect the chairperson,” Ntuli said.
Nevertheless, Ntuli emphasized that the Speaker, as head of Parliament, holds the responsibility to provide advice and guidance to parliamentary committees in alignment with both parliamentary rules and the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Speaker is expected to seek a legal opinion to determine how to proceed given the President’s application to the courts.
Ntuli outlined two potential scenarios based on the forthcoming legal advice. Should the opinion indicate that there is no legal basis to halt the committee’s work despite the President’s court action, the committee would be required to proceed with its mandate. Conversely, if the legal guidance advises that proceeding immediately without following certain procedural steps could risk non-compliance with the law, those necessary steps would first need to be taken.
“It’s going to depend,” Ntuli stated. “The Speaker is the head of another state institution which is Parliament, and she has a duty to guide committees of Parliament in line with the rules of that Parliament as well as the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.”
The Impeachment Committee remains a significant development in the ongoing parliamentary processes concerning the allegations against President Ramaphosa, with all parties awaiting the Speaker’s legal guidance before next steps are finalized.