Cape Town - A number of ANC MPs are apparently planning to revolt against the party’s instruction to toe the party line in rejecting the parliamentary motion to set up an impeachment process against President Cyril Ramaphosa, at a crucial sitting next week.
Already a group of more than 100 ANC supporters from various branches in the Western Cape demonstrated outside Parliament on Tuesday, calling for Ramaphosa to step down following the damning Section 89 report which found that he may have violated his oath of office over the Farmgate scandal.
Among them was ward 60 ANC member, Faizel Moosa, who said they were “sick and tired” of having to defend presidents who had “no moral compasses”.
While the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) resolved to shield Ramaphosa from being held accountable, one member belonging to the highest decision-making body believes members were strong-armed into making the decision.
The source said by mounting a collective challenge against a parliamentary motion, the party was repeating the mistakes of 2017.
“It raises serious alarms. Some of us are not saying we will abide by the NEC’s decision. We are simply saying we will do what is right, as always...”
Supporters of former health minister Zweli Mkhize and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma say they “will do the right thing” when Parliament sits next Tuesday, although they maintain that they are not lobbying others to do the same.
Both Mkhize and Dlamini Zuma are challenging Ramaphosa for the party’s top position at the ANC’s elective conference next Friday.
Mkhize’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mkhize, said the former health minister remained resolute in his belief that the parliamentary impeachment process should proceed, as the panel report had found that there are a number of questions which the president had to answer.
He believed there could be no better opportunity for the president to answer these, with a view to clearing his name, than the parliamentary impeachment process, said Mkhize.
Dlamini Zuma’s spokesperson, Mlungisi Mtshali, said on Twitter she was a member of the NWC and NEC.
“Outside that, she is not part of any group, let alone leading one. Her views on the Section 89 report are hers alone.
She expressed them when the report became public and she stands by them,” Mtshali said.
The ANC parliamentary caucus is to convene a meeting to receive “marching orders” from Luthuli House on Monday.
Chief whip, Pemmy Majodina, said ANC members were deployed by their party and were given a mandate on how to act on particular matters.
“We are to carry out and deliver the mandate of the NEC. There is no one who came as a constituency representative. We can’t vote contrary to what the ANC wants,” Majodina said.
Ramaphosa has approached the Constitutional Court for direct access, saying he believes the report is flawed.
Parliament’s Speaker, Mapisa-Nqakula gave the clearest indication on Tuesday that they would deal with the Section 89 independent panel next week, despite Ramaphosa’s judicial review application.
Mapisa-Nqakula said one thing they wanted to emphasise was the importance of the sovereignty of Parliament. “Parliament cannot be stifled by another organ of the state,” she said.
Mapisa-Nqakula made the comment when the programme committee resolved to move the debate and vote on the panel’s report to the Cape Town City Hall on Tuesday.
“We do appreciate that you do have three arms of the state and Parliament as the legislature is one such arm.
“Not unless there is a clear directive or ruling of the court which directs us not to deal with this matter. For as long there is not that kind of directive, we will proceed as we have discussed here and agreed,” she said.
Asked if Ramaphosa would interdict the special sitting and when he planned on doing so, his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said: “No to both questions.”
On Tuesday, chief parliamentary legal adviser Zuraya Adhikarie said there were competing arguments whether the sub judice rule may be invoked in circumstances of the report taken on review.
Adhikarie said the question of the sub judice rule was potentially the same question that the court and National Assembly must decide on.
“We heard repeatedly from the court that an automatic and complete bar to the National Assembly from carrying out its constitutional mandate is not permissible, especially when there is a need to hold the executive to account,” she said.
When asked whether next week’s special session should continue, Adhikarie agreed.
Cape Times