South African Parliament Restarts Ramaphosa Impeachment Inquiry After Constitutional Court Ruling

Thirty-one MPs will meet on Monday to elect a chairperson and begin a new inquiry into whether President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer over the 2020 theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo. The committee was established after the Constitutional Court ruled last month that Parliament acted unlawfully in 2022 when it rejected the findings of an Independent Panel that investigated the scandal.

ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said the party will follow the Constitutional Court ruling and will not use its majority to shield Ramaphosa.

"We are not going into the impeachment process to defend the report," Mbalula said. " Mbalula rejected claims that the ANC wants to control the process by ensuring one of its MPs chairs the committee. He was responding to Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane, who warned that public confidence in the inquiry could be damaged if an ANC member is elected to lead it.

The African National Congress said it will follow the Constitution when Parliament begins the fresh impeachment process. The Constitutional Court criticised the National Assembly for blocking meaningful scrutiny of impeachment motions and failing to properly exercise its oversight role. The ruling forced Parliament to restart the process and establish a new committee.

The Independent Panel found there was prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa may have committed serious violations of the Constitution and the law. Ramaphosa is currently challenging the panel's report in the Western Cape High Court, arguing that the panel relied on hearsay evidence, ignored key legal principles and reached flawed conclusions.

MPs serving on the impeachment committee say Parliament must carry out its constitutional duty without fear or favour.

The committee is expected to set timelines for hearings, determine how evidence will be presented and decide whether witnesses will be called. Parliament has insisted it respects the rule of law and will carry out the inquiry according to constitutional requirements. AllAfrica reported the statements from Mbalula and the details of the court ruling.