President Cyril Ramaphosa will this week be fighting for political survival this week, both in Parliament and from within his own party.
CAPE TOWN – The parliamentary year is set to end on arguably its most important business of the year on Tuesday whether or not President Cyril Ramaphosa should face impeachment.
After a delay of a week, all 400 members of the National Assembly are set to congregate in Cape Town for the all-important vote.
Never before has Parliament been faced with such decision.
While Ramaphosa is questioning the report that has sparked Tuesday’s debate in the country’s top court, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) has failed in a second attempt for a secret ballot.
President Ramaphosa will this week be fighting for political survival this week, both in Parliament and from within his own party.
The African National Congress (ANC)’s 230-member caucus has been warned – reject the Section 89 independent panel report which has suggested the president may have breached the Constitution related to the theft of foreign currency from his farm Phala Phala or face the consequences of being booted from its ranks.
The majority of opposition parties have indicated they will vote in favour of the report being adopted, and for the findings to be referred to an impeachment committee.
But it will have to rely on several ANC MPs stepping out of line for the simple majority required to make it stick.
For this reason, the ATM made a second attempt to push for a secret vote, arguing it wants to spare ANC members retribution for breaking ranks.
If the report is rejected, it will be the end of the impeachment process.
But it is unlikely to be the end of opposition parties attempting to find alternative avenues to force the president to face the music.
Sources: EWN
