Parliament Legal Services office to the update the impeachment committee about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent court interdict to stop the process.
Image: Zwelethemba Kostile / Parliament of RSA
Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Services Office will brief the impeachment committee on Thursday on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent court application to stop the impeachment process pending a review of the Section 89 report.
The briefing, scheduled for 8am, will be the committee’s first substantive item of business since its establishment.
It comes after Ramaphosa filed an urgent interdict application seeking to prevent the inquiry from proceeding before the courts have ruled on his challenge.
The president argued that he will suffer irreparable harm if the committee begins its work before a court has determined whether the 2022 Section 89 panel report should be set aside.
Committee chairperson Makashule Gana said members would receive legal advice on the implications of the court application and its impact on the committee’s work.
"The Impeachment Committee will hold a meeting to receive a report from the constitutional and legal advisors on the urgent court interdict from President Cyril Ramaphosa," Gana said.
The committee had been expected to turn its attention to adopting its terms of reference and appointing an evidence leader.
However, the president’s legal challenge has now taken precedence and could influence the timing of the inquiry.
Political parties have increased pressure on Speaker Thoko Didiza to reject the application, arguing that it risks delaying the process.
Ramaphosa, however, maintained that his court challenge must be heard first, saying the impeachment inquiry should not proceed before the legality of the Section 89 report has been tested in court.
The committee's deliberations on Thursday are expected to determine its next steps while the legal battle unfolds.
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