ActionSA’s Lerato Ngobeni has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision not to resign, stating that the move will subject him to the full impeachment process rather than allowing him to avoid scrutiny.
“We are actually very pleased that the president chose not to resign. We think that will really subject him to the entire process of the impeachment committee,” Ngobeni said. She added that resignation would have been “cowardly,” despite some viewing it as the honorable path.
Ngobeni confirmed that ActionSA has already written formally to the Speaker of the National Assembly, calling on Parliament to proceed without delay in implementing the Constitutional Court’s ruling and constituting a Section 89 impeachment committee.
“We will rake him through the coals with regards to the impeachment committee,” Ngobeni said. “This is the most opportune time for us to demonstrate to the South African public that no president, no one is above the law.”
Ngobeni accused Ramaphosa of treating South Africans as if they lack understanding, noting that he was allegedly willing to resign earlier in the matter. She demanded that he explain why he wanted to resign at that time and why he has since changed his position after his party convinced him otherwise.
“He needs to take us into confidence as to why he was willing to resign at that time,” she said, adding that ActionSA agrees with the African Transformation Movement that the President is not acting in good faith.
On the motion of no confidence, Ngobeni reiterated that the President must be held accountable, drawing a comparison to his predecessor who “held this whole show of force gung-ho mentality and was still sent to jail for 15 months.”
Asked about the impact on parties within the Government of National Unity (GNU), Ngobeni said ActionSA is not interested in the parties themselves but in how the process plays out for South Africans. “The era of an outright ANC parliamentary majority is over,” she said. “Parties in the GNU must now decide whether they serve with the people of South Africa and the constitution or whether they are more concerned with preserving the comforts and perks associated with cabinet positions.”
Ngobeni praised the Constitutional Court’s judgment, saying it has proven for the second time that “the tyranny of majority can be dealt with.” She called for Parliament to demonstrate its ability to self-reflect and carry out its fiduciary duty to the public.
On political stability, Ngobeni said South Africa’s constitution anticipates such processes, noting there is a deputy president and a Speaker who can assume roles if needed. “The larger global context will begin to appreciate the fact that no one can really capture South Africa,” she said.
She raised specific questions about the Phala Phala matter, asking: “How did the money get into the sofas? Was a sofa new or was a sofa always in the house of the president? You would have assumed money would have been in a safe.”
Ngobeni concluded: “If the president believes he did nothing wrong, this is gaslighting of the South African people. He must be held accountable.”
Earlier, ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe said the president will not be pressured into resigning, following the Constitutional Court directing Parliament to establish an impeachment committee. Mantashe said Ramaphosa is prepared to comply with all parliamentary processes. “He’s relaxed. He’s calm. He is ready to go through a process. He will not take shortcuts that everybody expects of him to just resign and walk away.”