Opposition parties are calling for parliament to adopt an independent process regarding the impeachment of a sitting President according to section 89 of the Constitution.
The National Assembly has passed rules that will provide for the impeachment of a sitting President. This follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court in December last year ordering that such rules be created without delay.
The Concourt had found that Parliament had failed to investigate whether former President Jacob Zuma had violated the constitution and had also failed to hold him accountable.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says President Cyril Ramaphosa should be impeached after his admission that his election campaign got funding from the Bosasa company.
“I am suggesting that the President confessed in parliament that he has received a donation and after that he said he didn’t. Therefore we must test this rule of impeachment on him,” says EFF’s MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says parliament cannot give its duties to another branch of government in relation to the impeachment of a sitting president. Some opposition parties had called for an independent judicial process to consider impeachment of a president before the matter is referred to the National Assembly. The IFP’s Mkhuleko Hlengwa disagrees:
“What is fundamental is that parliament cannot outsource its duties, its functions and responsibilities to another body. If we elect the President here it is our duty to hold the President accountable here. It would be a dereliction of duty.”
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) John Steenhuisen says it is high time that section 89 is used to the full: “Here is the opportunity to clear up the rot of the last eight years. Here was the opportunity to clear up the ministers who have facilitated the state capture in their departments and enable the state capture and rob the people of South Africa.”
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