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All eyes on ConCourt impeachment ruling on Friday

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The Constitutional Court will deliver on Friday a ruling on whether Parliament should initiate impeachment proceedings against President Jacob Zuma.

In September the court reserved judgement in the case brought forward by the Economic Freedom Fighters and other parties.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM) want the highest court in the land to instruct parliament to set up an inquiry into President Zuma’s conduct. They want the trial like ad hoc committee to have powers to subpoena witnesses.

The EFF is also seeking a declaratory order that the Speaker of National Assembly, Baleka Mbete failed to hold the President accountable over Nkandla saga.

The order by the party declares that National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete failed to put in place all appropriate procedures and mechanisms to hold President Zuma accountable. This  following the President’s failure to implement recommendations in the Public Protector’s report into the Nkandla debacle in 2014.

But Mbete’s lawyers argued that the Speaker’s office would be acting inconsistently if were it to remove president Zuma. The counsel further submitted that the Speaker already allowed a motion of no confidence against the President, after the ruling.

The unsuccessful motion was pushed by the DA – the EFF says it was premature.

The judgment to be given on Friday follows the 2016 Constitutional Court ruling that the President Jacob Zuma failed to uphold, defend and respect the constitution.

In March 2016, the Constitutional Court ruled that President Zuma failed to uphold the Constitution.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said the court needs clarity on why it should intervene on Parliament’s alleged inability to hold President Zuma to account while not overstepping the separation of powers.

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