By Anita Dangazele
- Impeachment committee chairperson Makashule Gana will attend the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday and Thursday, 15 and 16 July.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa wants the committee’s work stopped until a separate court review of the report behind the inquiry is finished.
Parliament’s impeachment committee chairperson, Makashule Gana, says he is confident the Western Cape High Court will rule in the committee’s favour, ahead of a hearing that begins on Wednesday.
“On Wednesday, 15 July, and Thursday, 16 July, I will be attending the interdict hearing at the Western Cape High Court,” Gana said.
“The interdict was brought by President Cyril Ramaphosa and seeks to interdict the work of the impeachment committee. As a committee, and myself as a second respondent, we have opposed this application because we believe that the work of the committee needs to continue.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa is asking the court to halt the 31-member committee’s work until a separate court review of the Independent Panel report is finished. That report is what triggered the Section 89 impeachment inquiry into Ramaphosa, linked to the theft of US$580,000 in cash from his Phala Phala farm. The review has been fast-tracked to be heard in September.
Gana filed an affidavit opposing the interdict last month, arguing that any harm Ramaphosa expects to suffer from the inquiry continuing is “perceived,” since the process is meant to be fair and transparent, and Ramaphosa will have the chance to respond to any evidence against him.
“We are confident that the court will agree with our argument that the work of the committee needs to proceed, because it’s important that the work of the impeachment committee continues,” Gana said.
“I will be attending as the chairperson of the committee to ensure that all the views that our legal team will present are properly articulated.”
Pictured above: Parliament’s impeachment committee chairperson, Makashule Gana.
Image source: Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
