By: Zilungile Mkhize
RISE Mzansi’s Makashule Gana has been elected chairperson of Parliament’s impeachment committee after securing 19 votes, defeating UIM leader Bantu Mahlatsi.
Gana’s appointment was backed by members of the ANC, DA and Patriotic Alliance.
The committee has been established to investigate allegations of misconduct against President Cyril Ramaphosa and to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for him to answer to the charges.
The allegations relate to the theft of a large sum of foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in 2020. The matter has remained a subject of political and public scrutiny, with opposition parties calling for accountability and transparency.
Secretary to the National Assembly Masibulele Xaso, who presided over the committee’s inaugural meeting to facilitate the election of a chairperson, said the committee has an important constitutional responsibility and must conduct its work in a fair, impartial and credible manner.
The committee is expected to outline its programme and procedures in the coming weeks as it begins its inquiry into the allegations surrounding the Phala Phala matter.
