ActionSA has reiterated its position that President Cyril Ramaphosa should permit the parliamentary impeachment process regarding the Phala Phala matter to proceed, even as it acknowledges his constitutional right to legally challenge the panel’s report.
ActionSA Member of Parliament Lerato Ngobeni stated that while the party respects the President’s decision to seek judicial review, transparency demands that the legislative accountability mechanism not be obstructed. “If he’s got nothing to hide, he should allow the parliamentary process to go through,” Ngobeni said.
Ngobeni praised the Speaker of the National Assembly for acting promptly to establish the impeachment committee following the Constitutional Court’s ruling. The Court, South Africa’s highest judicial authority, found that Parliament’s initial handling of the matter was procedurally flawed and required correction.
The ActionSA spokesperson noted that President Ramaphosa had forewarned political allies of his intended legal steps, including holding what was described as a “family meeting.” While not caught off guard, Ngobeni confirmed the party is evaluating its internal response should the President move to interdict the committee’s work. Legal avenues remain under review, though Ngobeni emphasized that “ultimately the people of South Africa will judge him.”
Underscoring the doctrine of separation of powers, Ngobeni cautioned against over-reliance on litigation to resolve political accountability. “We cannot govern South Africa through the courts,” he said, adding that Parliament must now fulfill its constitutional mandate without returning to the judiciary to compel its own functions.
Ngobeni clarified that the Constitutional Court’s judgment did not determine guilt or innocence regarding President Ramaphosa’s conduct. Rather, it addressed procedural shortcomings in how the previous administration handled the matter. The impeachment process, he explained, exists to verify the findings of an independent report which indicated the President may have questions to answer.
“The president should be able to account just like everybody else who accounts before portfolio committees,” Ngobeni remarked, citing the example of officials who have appeared before the Madlanga Commission. ActionSA maintains it is not pre-judging outcomes but advocating for a thorough, impartial process conducted by experienced legal professionals.
Referencing the precedent set during the Nkandla proceedings, Ngobeni urged President Ramaphosa to embrace the same standards of accountability expected of other public office-bearers. “If the president has nothing to hide, like he says he doesn’t, why duck and dive and try to interdict a process that’s just only trying to hold him accountable?” he asked.
President Ramaphosa has yet to provide Parliament or the South African public with a comprehensive explanation of the 2020 incident at his Phala Phala farm. ActionSA contends that permitting the constitutionally prescribed process to conclude remains the most credible route to restoring public trust.