GNU parties quiet on renewed Ramaphosa impeachment bid

Political reaction to renewed calls for impeachment against President Cyril Ramaphosa has been notably muted, particularly among parties within the Government of National Unity (GNU).

This follows the African Transformation Movement’s request to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to revive impeachment proceedings in light of the latest IPID report into the Phala Phala saga.

Several political parties are choosing to hold back, indicating they will wait for the Speaker’s direction before taking a firm position.

The African National Congress (ANC) says it will not comment at this stage, deferring to the Speaker.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has indicated it will only respond once a formal motion is tabled, while the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has also described it as premature to engage before parliamentary processes unfold.

Al Jama-ah has similarly reserved its position, saying the party will respond only after the Speaker pronounces on the matter.

However, not all parties are staying silent.

Build One South Africa (BOSA) says the emergence of new information warrants further scrutiny, arguing that Parliament must be given the opportunity to fully interrogate the latest findings.

BOSA’s Mmusi Maimane says, “Phala Phala, like many other issues in this country, always deserves proper and thorough investigation. Recent reports have come back with new additional information, information that challenges what the role of the President is, what the role of the head of security has been, and many other new sets of information. As BOSA, we want to state categorically that where there’s new evidence that emerges, this matter must be investigated, and parliament must have an opportunity to investigate what this information means.”

Meanwhile, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) has thrown its weight behind the President, with the party maintaining that the impeachment push is misplaced and warning against destabilising the Government of National Unity.

The PA’s Asheley Sauls says, “We will not support a motion that serves to paralyse the state at a time when we are finally turning the corner on service delivery. With the rand stronger, inflation lower, over 300,000 jobs created. The Patriotic Alliance stands for accountability, but we also stand for fairness. We will continue to support President Ramaphosa and the GNU.”

With parties divided and others withholding comment, the focus now shifts back to the Speaker’s office, where a decision on whether to entertain the impeachment motion request could set the tone for what comes next.