Retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo has warned that dragging a president before an impeachment is a “huge” decision that cannot be taken on flimsy reasons.
Ngcobo, who headed the independent panel of experts looking at whether President Cyril Ramaphosa broke any of the impeachment rules, said the panel’s task was a complex” one.
The panel was looking into the theft of millions of US dollars that were stolen at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in February 2020.
“Dragging the president before an impeachment process is a huge decision. It cannot be done on flimsy reasons. There has to be something tangible that you can hold on to before you take that decision,” Ngcobo said at the handing over of the panel’s report to Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Wednesday.
The former chief justice explained that the reason there were delays was due to the fact that the panel needed more time to process the submissions made by members of parliament.
Ramaphosa was also given an opportunity to respond to all the submissions made against him. Nqakula said the report will be published in the evening on Wednesday, and the National Assembly will debate the report on December 6, which has serious implications for Ramaphosa’s chances of getting a second term as president of the ANC.
The ruling party holds its elective conference in just over two weeks’ time, where Ramaphosa is facing a challenge from former health minister Zweli Mkhize.
Should the panel recommend that Ramaphosa face impeachment, his opponents are likely to push for him to step aside from his position.
The president has maintained that he had reported the February 2020 burglary to his head of security, Wally Rhoode, who is currently facing charges related to the incident.
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