Under-fire President Cyril Ramaphosa may have gained some time to gather his thoughts after the National Assembly decided to defer the debate on the Section 89 panel findings, but the saga is far from over.
Members of Parliament were expected to debate and vote on an impeachment inquiry against the president on Tuesday, however, the sitting was postponed to December 13 to allow other members to make their way to Cape Town for physical participation in the National Assembly.
“The 13 December meeting will be fully physical, with no provision for virtual participation. The National Assembly secretariat was tasked with securing a suitable venue that will accommodate all members.” said parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo
This is to ensure an open-voting process after the Speaker of parliament, Nosiviwe-Mapisa Nqakula, declined the African Transformation Movement’s request for a secret ballot.
“The meeting further resolved that the voting method on the report will be by means of an open ballot and a roll call,” Mothapo said.
The postponement comes after the president garnered the majority of support at the ANC’s national executive committee’s special meeting on Monday.
Sunday World understands that the ANC MPs resolved not to support a motion to impeach Ramaphosa after he approached the Constitutional Court where he seeks to review and set aside the Section 89 panel’s report.
After the report was released last week, Ramaphosa and his legal team decided to take the matter to court on an urgent basis, saying the panel misunderstood its mandate.
The report found that the president may have violated multiple clauses in the constitution including the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, which governs the prevention of bribery and corruption, and section 96(2) of the constitution.
He was also found to have committed serious misconduct by conflicting his private life and his official responsibilities.
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Nation on tenterhooks as Ramaphosa saga drags on
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