MPs has expressed concern that the committee to review the Phala Phala might be delayed.
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Political parties have until May 22 to submit the names of MPs who will serve on Parliament’s impeachment committee investigating President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal.
However, MPs have warned, however, the inquiry risks being dragged out for months before any evidence is heard.
National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has officially established a 31-member committee that will reconsider evidence linked to the theft of foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm and decide whether the president is fit to hold office.
The committee follows a Constitutional Court ruling that forced Parliament to revive the impeachment process after legal challenges over how the matter was previously handled.
But despite pressure to move quickly, MPs say Parliament is now trapped in arguments over rules, procedures and legal processes.
A parliamentary rules sub-committee received legal advice from Adv. Andrew Breitenbach, who warned MPs they did not have the luxury of time.
However, he also outlined a long list of procedural issues that must first be resolved before the inquiry can begin.
Among the issues still under discussion are whether the committee should appoint an evidence leader, how witnesses will be selected and questioned, what format the hearings will take, and how public participation will be included.
The legal and procedural uncertainty has already triggered frustration inside Parliament.
MK Party (MKP) Mzwanele Manyi warned that the process could effectively collapse under delays.
“It means that nothing is going to happen for the rest of this year,” Manyi said.
Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana said Parliament risked wasting months on the debating process instead of dealing with the allegations against the president.
Gana said they could spend three to six months just on the process itself.
Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary leader George Michalakis said delays would damage parliament’s credibility and fuel public distrust.
Michalakis said “I will be dead by the time this impeachment hearing happens”.
Political parties are expected to submit proposed rules for the inquiry by Tuesday, while the rules sub-committee is scheduled to meet next Friday again.
The Phala Phala matter centres on the theft of US dollars hidden at Ramaphosa’s Limpopo farm, allegations that sparked political outrage, legal battles and growing pressure on Parliament to hold the president accountable.
With political tensions rising, the impeachment committee is now facing intense scrutiny before its work has even begun.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics