The African National Congress (ANC) has summoned an emergency National Executive Committee meeting as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s future came under renewed pressure following parliament’s decision to establish an impeachment committee in line with a court ruling on the Phala Phala scandal.
The urgent meeting, called by ANC secretary‑general Fikile Mbalula for Tuesday night in Cape Town, comes just days after the Constitutional Court overturned parliament’s 2022 decision that halted an impeachment inquiry into the president.
In a memo to executive committee members, Mbalula said the emergency meeting would focus on the implications of the ruling, which has effectively reopened the impeachment process and placed Ramaphosa’s political standing under intense scrutiny.
The apex court found that parliament acted unlawfully when it blocked the Independent Panel Report into the Phala Phala farm theft from proceeding to a full Section 89 inquiry.
The ruling declared Rule 129I of the National Assembly’s impeachment procedures unconstitutional and invalid and ordered that the report compiled by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo be referred to an impeachment committee.
The court also introduced temporary amendments to guide Parliament until it rewrites its rules.
The National Assembly said Speaker Thoko Didiza will now move ahead with establishing the committee, which will determine whether sufficient grounds exist to pursue an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa.
“In compliance with the judgment of the Court, the Speaker will initiate the process to constitute the Impeachment Committee in terms of Rules 129J to 129O of the Rules of the National Assembly to consider the section 89 inquiry process contemplated in the Constitution and the Rules of the Assembly,” parliament said in a statement.
“The Speaker will formally refer the Independent Panel Report to the Impeachment Committee as directed by the Constitutional Court.”
Opposition parties welcomed the ruling as a victory for accountability, while analysts say the judgment fundamentally reshapes parliament’s oversight role and revives a process that the ANC majority previously shut down.
JN/APA