The African National Congress (ANC) in Parliament’s Joint Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) says it supports Parliament’s decision to oppose AfriForum’s bid to interdict Parliament from processing the committee’s report of amending section 25 of the constitution.
ANC Member of the Committee Vincent Smith calls it a delaying tactic.
AfriForum wants to interdict Parliament from debating the report pending the outcome of a judicial review of the committee process.
The committee report, which was adopted on Thursday last week, still has to be brought before both Houses of Parliament for final approval.
Smith says AfriForum’s court bit is pre-empting Parliament.
“As the African National Congress, we are absolutely behind Parliament in opposing it, because we think it’s a delaying tactic. We think there is no basis now to take it for an interdict because it’s pre-empting the process.”
“And finally, the courts can’t determine the internal arrangements of Parliament. Parliament has given the Constitutional Review Committee until end of November to go and do some work and report to it. And I can’t see how the court can stop that process from taking place. So we think it’s a delaying tactic and it must be defended at all costs,” adds Smith.
