Parliament will wait for court to deal with Phala Phala matter, says Mapisa-Nqakula

Parliament will not oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa’s challenge to the section 89 panel report that found he may have an impeachment case to answer.

National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told MPs on Thursday that the legislature would abide by the court’s decision.

Ramaphosa approached the Constitutional Court to review the report, saying the panel chaired by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo “misconceived its mandate, misjudged the information placed before it and misinterpreted the four charges” against him.

He asked the court to declare the report unlawful and set it aside, particularly its finding that he may have been involved in impeachable conduct. The president also asked the court to declare that “any steps taken by the National Assembly pursuant to the report are equally unlawful and invalid”.

“We have received information about the contents of his submission and we have decided we will wait for the court to deal with the matter and we will abide by the decisions of the court,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.

The panel said in its recommendation that the information it had been given disclosed “prima facie” that the president may have committed serious violations of the constitution and law, and serious misconduct.

The speaker said she would, however, defend challenges to her decision to refuse secret balloting when the National Assembly voted to reject the report. “We have responded, we have filed papers, we have a senior counsel to challenge the submission made by members who are challenging my ruling about a secret voting process on December 13,” she said.

A National Assembly majority voted to reject the report and the establishment of an impeachment inquiry to hold Ramaphosa accountable for allegedly concealing a burglary at his game farm.

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