Impeachment process must wait for court review, ANCYL says

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has called on parliament to halt the impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa until his judicial review of the independent panel report into the Phala Phala theft is finalised.

According to the youth league president, Collen Malatji, it would be inconceivable for the two processes to run concurrently, as the outcome of the review application will have a direct impact on the impeachment process.

We have a strong view as the Youth League that the process of parliament must stop until the review is finalised.

—   Collen Malatji, ANC Youth League president

Malatji was speaking just hours after Ramaphosa, in his address to the nation on Monday, announced that he would be taking on review the report by the Section 89 independent panel which found that there was a prima facie case of wrongdoing in the theft of more than R10m in foreign currency at his Limpopo farm, Phala Phala.

Ramaphosa addressed the nation after the Constitutional Court ruled that the parliamentary vote that blocked the report from being referred to the impeachment committee was unlawful. It said parliament was wrong to vote on the report before taking it through the committee.

According to Malatji, Ramaphosa’s decision to challenge the outcomes of the independent panel effectively halts any parliamentary process.

“We have a strong view as the Youth League that the process of parliament must stop until the review is finalised. Because what is on review is a report that must be discussed in that process,” said Malatji.

“Now, as the youth league, we are saying parliament must not rush. They must wait for the president to exhaust all those processes. If the courts are saying that the report is correct, then the president must enter that process. But for now, they must wait for the process of review to be finalised with the president.”

Although Ramaphosa did not suggest that he would seek to interdict the parliamentary process, Malatji was, however, adamant that parliament cannot continue with an impeachment process that is going to rely on a report that is being challenged.

“Now, we are saying that process must stop, then we allow the president to conclude the process that he has started. Then when he is done, that process when he is done will be determined, because you may find that there is not even a report,” said Malatji.

“What if the courts and everyone else say that the president is right? Then there will be nothing to discuss there in parliament. People might have to wait for the 2029 elections to get a majority. Some of the political parties are going down; they may not even have one seat by the time we get to 2029.”

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