uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) Member of Parliament Visvin Reddy has confirmed that his party will nominate three members to serve on Parliament’s committee established to consider the impeachment of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Speaking after the Speaker of Parliament requested party nominations, Reddy stated that the MK Party’s chief whip will submit the names of its representatives in due course, with a deadline of Friday for submissions.
Reddy expressed serious reservations about the committee’s makeup during a chief whips forum meeting. He argued that the panel is heavily dominated by the African National Congress (ANC) and its Government of National Unity (GNU) partners, including the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and several smaller parties.
“The committee is packed with ANC and its lackeys, the GNU parties,” Reddy said. He warned against repeating events of 2022, when the ANC used its majority to protect Ramaphosa.
The MK Party representative acknowledged that the committee’s composition reflects the proportional representation of seats in Parliament following the elections, with parties that joined the GNU holding nearly 80% of seats. However, he maintained that the focus should remain on thoroughly investigating the matter rather than the exact numbers.
Reddy emphasised that Rule 129K requires all parties in Parliament to be represented on such a committee. He stressed the importance of upholding a recent Constitutional Court judgment, which he described as the highest court ruling in the land and not subject to challenge.
The court’s decision requires the Speaker to establish the committee to consider the Section 89 report. Reddy noted that the judicial process took over three years and urged against further delays, saying South Africans deserve to know whether they have “a constitutional delinquent as a president or a criminal.”
He drew a parallel with ordinary citizens, stating that possession of undeclared foreign currency amounting to hundreds of thousands of rands would typically result in criminal charges, questioning why the president should be treated differently.
Reddy further insisted that President Ramaphosa’s review application should not halt parliamentary processes or the impeachment-related proceedings. “Mr Ramaphosa’s review should in no way stop the impeachment process or parliamentary processes. That should never happen,” he said.
He concluded by calling for the protection of Parliament’s sovereignty and the integrity of constitutional court outcomes, despite acknowledged flaws in the institution.
The committee’s work follows the Constitutional Court ruling and is tasked with considering the Section 89 report rather than immediately initiating impeachment proceedings.
