RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has defended the election of party member of parliament Makashule Gana as chairperson of Parliament’s impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying the position requires experience, political maturity and the ability to command trust across party lines.
He also took a veiled swipe at Build One SA (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane, who was competing alongside Gana for the position and has been disgruntled for not having been able to persuade the majority of committee members to vote for him.
Process rather than spectacle
Addressing a media briefing in Rosebank on Monday alongside Gana, RISE Mzansi national chairperson Vuyiswa Ramokgopa and the party’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Lukhona Mnguni, Zibi argued that the significance of the inquiry demanded a chairperson focused on process rather than political spectacle.
He also shed light on the political negotiations that preceded the vote, saying any candidate hoping to secure the chairpersonship needed broad support across the committee.
Zibi singled out the Democratic Alliance (DA)’s numbers as particularly influential in determining the outcome and suggested that successful candidates needed to engage seriously with coalition dynamics rather than rely on public campaigning.
“And I just want to say, anybody who says they wanted to be chair and never spoke to the DA, they were never serious about being chair. That’s just how numbers work. If they had said no and the ANC had said no, we wouldn’t have bothered. So it’s important that we understand that also the craft of politics in a coalition environment is also important instead of just shouting insults on Twitter[X]” he said.
Gana a consensus candidate
Zibi revealed that the DA had nominated Gana during discussions among opposition parties, helping to position him as a consensus candidate.
Gana defeated Dr Wonderboy Mahlatsi of the United Africans Transformation by 19 votes to 12.
Sunday World has established that Maimane pushed hard for the position and approached at least four senior African National Congress (ANC) leaders in an attempt to secure backing.
Bosa insiders said the former DA leader was counting on Gwede Mantashe’s influence to sway the ANC caucus. Maimane believed his discussions with ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe had been positive and had been surprised when the ANC nominated Gana.
The impeachment inquiry has been established after a Constitutional Court ruling which found that Parliament’s previous position not to further probe prima facie evidence on Ramaphosa’s wrongdoing in the Phala Phala farm burglary was flawed.
Nature of the chairpersonship role
Zibi said some commentary surrounding the race for the chairpersonship had misunderstood the nature of the role.
“There are people who appear to believe that the impeachment committee chair is a judge,” he told journalists.
Instead, he said, the chairperson’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the inquiry complies with constitutional requirements, parliamentary rules and applicable legislation.
According to Zibi, South Africa has never before undertaken an impeachment process against a sitting president, making the inquiry a landmark moment for the country’s constitutional democracy.
“This is an extremely serious matter that cannot be left to silly political theatrics,” he said.
He described Gana as a politician with experience across all three spheres of government, having served in local government, the Gauteng legislature and Parliament. Zibi said that background, together with Gana’s work on parliamentary oversight structures, made him a suitable choice to steer the process.
Read more: Makashule Gana voted Cyril Ramaphosa impeachment inquiry chair
- RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has defended the election of party member of parliament Makashule Gana as chairperson of Parliament’s impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying the position requires experience, political maturity and the ability to command trust across party lines.
- He also took a veiled swipe at Build One SA (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane, who was competing alongside Gana for the position and has been disgruntled for not having been able to persuade the majority of committee members to vote for him.
- Process rather than spectacle Addressing a media briefing in Rosebank on Monday alongside Gana, RISE Mzansi national chairperson Vuyiswa Ramokgopa and the party’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Lukhona Mnguni, Zibi argued that the significance of the inquiry demanded a chairperson focused on process rather than political spectacle.
- He also shed light on the political negotiations that preceded the vote, saying any candidate hoping to secure the chairpersonship needed broad support across the committee.
- Zibi singled out the Democratic Alliance (DA)’s numbers as particularly influential in determining the outcome and suggested that successful candidates needed to engage seriously with coalition dynamics rather than rely on public campaigning.
