The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has accused the African National Congress (ANC) of deliberately obstructing the Phala Phala impeachment process by withholding its nominees to the committee.
EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the ANC’s failure to submit names undermines the implementation of the independent panel report and frustrates Parliament’s constitutional responsibilities. He claimed the move forms part of a broader strategy to shield President Cyril Ramaphosa from accountability.
In a media interview, Thambo stated that the Speaker of the National Assembly held a meeting with the ANC’s legal representatives and caucus officials shortly after the Constitutional Court judgment. He described the delay as a deliberate attempt to subvert both parliamentary work and the constitutional order established by the court.
“There is an attempt to delay the proceedings of the impeachment committee in Parliament,” Thambo said. “The only way to do that would be to subject the Parliament proceedings to an absence of nominees to the impeachment committee.”
He dismissed suggestions of internal ANC fighting over deployments, calling it unprecedented and instead labeling the delay a tactic to allow President Ramaphosa time to seek an interdict against the process.
Thambo pointed to what he called a pattern of behavior by Ramaphosa to avoid accountability. He referenced the President’s attempt four years ago to review the Section 89 report by the Chief Justice, which was later withdrawn after the ANC used its then-majority in Parliament.
“Any reasonable observer would conclude that the current delays are part of a broader political strategy to shield Ramaphosa from accountability and to weaken the impeachment process before it even begins,” the EFF statement read.
The EFF has confirmed it has already submitted its own nominees to the committee, including the President of the EFF and a senior general official.
Thambo announced that the EFF will write a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly the following morning, demanding clarity on how the process will move forward. The ANC has nine slots on the committee that remain unfilled after missing the submission deadline.
He expressed hope that the Speaker would act in accordance with the law and constitution, while noting the EFF’s readiness to pursue the matter in court if necessary to ensure the committee can begin its work.
