By: Bright Ntuli
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture and Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie says his party will not support any move to impeach President Cyril Ramaphosa.
McKenzie’s remarks come after Parliament established a 31-member impeachment committee to determine whether Ramaphosa violated his oath of office in connection with the 2020 burglary at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.
The matter relates to the theft of foreign currency from the farm, an incident that sparked national debate and prompted calls for accountability over the source of the money and the handling of the case.
The parliamentary committee forms part of the Section 89 process, which allows Parliament to investigate whether a president has committed serious misconduct, violated the Constitution or the law, or is unable to perform the duties of office.
Speaking on the matter, McKenzie argued that Ramaphosa’s decision to take the Section 89 panel report on judicial review should not be viewed as an attempt to avoid parliamentary scrutiny.
He said the president is exercising his legal rights and is not trying to evade accountability by challenging the report in court.
McKenzie also indicated that the Patriotic Alliance believes the impeachment process should be approached fairly and within the confines of the law, adding that the party would not back efforts to remove the president from office at this stage.
Ramaphosa has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in relation to the Phala Phala matter, maintaining that the money stolen was proceeds from the sale of game at the farm.
The impeachment committee is expected to assess evidence and make recommendations on whether further parliamentary action against the president is warranted.
