CAPE TOWN, Western Cape — The MK Party has firmly positioned itself against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent legal bid to halt parliamentary impeachment proceedings, arguing that the maneuver is a deliberate delaying tactic. Speaking at the Western Cape High Court, MK Party deputy president John Hlophe outlined the party’s vigorous opposition to the President’s application, emphasizing that the Constitutional Court has already mandated the impeachment committee to proceed with its work.
Hlophe recounted the origins of the inquiry, noting that more than six years ago, approximately $580,000 USD was found concealed under a mattress and couch at President Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. He stressed that because the President is not permitted to conduct business while serving as head of state, the discovery warranted immediate accountability. A Section 89 panel inquiry, chaired by a retired chief justice, subsequently concluded that the matter must be referred by the National Assembly to an impeachment committee for further probing.
According to Hlophe, the ANC utilized its parliamentary majority to vote down the referral to the impeachment committee, with only five ANC members dissenting. Notably, the current Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, was not among those five dissenting votes. Following litigation by the EFF and the ATM, the Constitutional Court reserved judgment for nearly two years before ruling on May 8, 2026, that the impeachment committee must be established under Rule 129 of the National Assembly rules and allowed to function.
Hlophe described Ramaphosa’s rush to the Western Cape High Court as a “desperate attempt” to stall the process yet again. He criticized the President for initially failing to cite political parties represented in the National Assembly in the proceedings, which forced the MK Party to apply for leave to intervene. Hlophe asserted that once the Constitutional Court, as the apex court of the land, makes a ruling, no other court has the competent jurisdiction to interdict or review it. He cited legal precedent involving a previous contempt of court sentencing of the President, noting that a judgment emanating from the Natal division established that lower courts cannot pronounce upon or interdict a binding Constitutional Court ruling.
The briefing also detailed internal parliamentary actions taken by the MK Party. On June 18, 2026, the impeachment committee met, and its chairperson, Honorable Makashule Gana, was advised by senior counsel to file an affidavit opposing Ramaphosa’s application. However, Hlophe claimed Speaker Didiza ignored this sound legal advice, filing a notice to abide instead of a notice to oppose. He alleged that the Speaker subsequently sought retroactive justification for her actions from external legal counsel.
Consequently, the MK Party, supported by Dr. Mashadi, has filed a Rule 167 notice to summon the Speaker to explain her conduct before the impeachment committee. Hlophe argued that she acted improperly by acting first and only seeking favorable legal advice afterward to justify her conduct.
Hlophe further revealed that the MK Party filed a vote of no confidence against President Ramaphosa, which the Speaker has failed to table. Additionally, a Rule 167 motion to obtain the legal advice given to the Speaker was blocked from being tabled by the impeachment committee chairperson, Mr. Gana. Hlophe sharply criticized Gana as a former Democratic Alliance member, describing him as a “project of the ANC” who is shielding the President from accountability. The MK Party is also throwing its support behind a separate vote of no confidence against the Speaker filed by the EFF.
Concluding the media briefing, Hlophe condemned the current political dynamic, stating that the ANC has placed the executive above parliament to avoid presidential accountability.
“What we are seeing under the ANC regime is the tail that is wagging the dog,” Hlophe stated. He affirmed the MK Party’s optimism that their parliamentary and legal interventions, including their “Plan B” to expose the impeachment inquiry chairperson if motions are not tabled, will ultimately ensure the President is held to account.