President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to seek a judicial review of the Section 89 Phala Phala report has been slammed by the EFF as fundamentally opportunistic and dishonest.
The red berets say the move is indicative of a President who has no genuine commitment to transparency, accountability, or constitutional governance. But the party notes that President Ramaphosa’s response was expected, as he will exhaust every political and legal mechanism available to evade accountability and avoid facing a Parliamentary impeachment inquiry.
The EFF has confirmed that it will oppose the review application and has called on National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to do the same, arguing that she is the custodian of the independent panel report. The EFF will also seek legal advice on whether the President’s review application will have any bearing on the Constitutional Court order related to an impeachment committee.
Meanwhile, the DA, which is part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s coalition government, has acknowledged the President’s legal right to approach the High Court but notes that the review must not be used to delay the work of Parliament.
It further noted that Parliament must take urgent legal advice on whether the review affects the establishment and work of the impeachment committee.
