EFF disappointed as ConCourt rejects bid to fast-track Ramaphosa impeachment appeal

The Constitutional Court has dealt a blow to opposition parties by dismissing an urgent application aimed at resuming the impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa. The decision ensures that the Section 89 Impeachment Committee hearings remain suspended for the time being.

The legal battle was spearheaded by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) and supported by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, and United Africans Transformation (UAT). They sought to overturn a Western Cape High Court order that had put the brakes on the parliamentary process.

Premature Legal Challenge

In its Wednesday ruling, the apex court explained that the outcome of Ramaphosa’s separate review application in the Western Cape High Court will likely make the current interdict irrelevant. The justices deemed it premature to intervene before that lower court process concludes.

The President is currently fighting to nullify the findings of an independent panel which suggested he has a case to answer. This panel previously looked into the controversial Phala Phala farm incident, where a significant amount of foreign currency was stolen.

EFF Voices Frustration

The EFF expressed significant disappointment through spokesperson Thembi Msane. The party criticized the court for suggesting a resolution is imminent, noting that the High Court case is only set for hearing in early September 2024.

Msane emphasized that court judgments often take months to be delivered after hearings conclude. The opposition argues that these legal hurdles are effectively stalling Parliament's constitutional duty to hold the executive to account.

Ongoing Phala Phala Saga

This latest development adds another chapter to the long-running Phala Phala drama. While the ConCourt previously ruled that the National Assembly's rejection of the original report was unconstitutional, the specific road to impeachment remains blocked by these latest procedural delays.

For now, the President's fate rests on the upcoming September hearings in Cape Town. Until a final decision is reached on his review application, the parliamentary committee cannot move forward with public hearings.