GOOD Leader Patricia de Lille and RISE Mzansi Leader Songezo Zibi announce GOOD’s candidate for Mayor of Cape Town ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
GOOD Leader Patricia de Lille has come to the defence of the impeachment committee chairperson Makashule Gana, saying that they are jealous, and that it is childish to be personal about his election.
De Lille was speaking at the sidelines of GOOD’s announcement, where Brett Herron was officially unveiled as their candidate for Mayor of Cape Town in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
De Lille was joined by RISE Mzansi leader, Songezo Zibi. The GOOD Party and RISE Mzansi had previously announced the unification of their campaigns into a new political partnership ahead of the LGE2026.
They were also joined by RISE Mzansi’s candidate for the City of Johannesburg, Lukhona Mnguni.
Zibi had also defended Gana, who is also the chief organiser and National Assembly Whip for RISE Mzansi.
“We have no doubt that Gana will place the flag and the Constitution above all else. He is not there to defend a party or the Government of National Unity (GNU) position. He is there to steer a process defined by the Constitution and the Rules of the National Assembly.”
Gana said that they are preparing for our first meeting, which he intends to have “before we go on recess, so before the 26th of June”.
GOOD is one of two political parties, along with the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), who had indicated that they will not participate in the Committee, as each party has only one member in Parliament who also serves in the Executive.
De Lille said that while they may not be on the impeachment committee, this will not stop them from participating in the Section 89 inquiry into the Phala Phala scandal.
“Even though we're not there physically, any committee and any member of Parliament is allowed to make a written submission.
“The role of that committee is only to come up with recommendations to the full National Assembly, and then that's where I will make my input as GOOD and take a stand based on their recommendations,” De Lille said.
She added that she was not impressed by the belittling of Gana, who was elected as committee chairperson.
“I'm not in the business of trying to belittle any honourable member of Parliament, because they've all been elected by the voters, and we must respect the choice that the voters have made.
“It's absolutely unprofessional, and not for the decorum of Parliament, to attack an individual the way they've attacked the chairperson,” De Lille said. “They're attacking the chairperson because they're jealous. They're attacking the chairperson, not even looking at his academic qualification, and I think it's very childish to be personal about any member of Parliament.”
Makashule Gana was elected as chairperson of the Impeachment Committee.
Image: Phando Jikelo/ParliamentRSA/Supplied
On Monday, Gana said that the committee's work can only be halted or stopped when ordered to do so by a competent court.
“No lawyer's letter or anything (will stop us), unless the court decides that we should stop. We are continuing. We're not going to be slowed by anything other than that.
“In terms of being impartial, we will be guided by the rules. I'm the chairperson of the committee. I need to treat all members with respect. You will be able to see in the way that we run the committee whether it is impartial. I don't intend to look only on the side of those who supported my election,” Gana said.
“It's now been seven days. We don't need to go back there. We need to look forward. There's work that's happening. I'm now the chairperson of the committee. What people say or don't say, it's not for me; I have no control over what people say about me.”