National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has announced the formation of a 31-member parliamentary committee that will consider whether President Cyril Ramaphosa should face impeachment over the possession of US dollars at his Phala Phala farm.
Didiza confirmed the committee’s composition on Wednesday after consulting party whips during a closed-door meeting. The committee will become the second-largest ever established by Parliament.
The African National Congress (ANC) will have the biggest presence, with nine members on the panel.
Phala Phala: Constitutional Court Ruling Forces Parliament To Act
Didiza said that because Parliament is dealing with unprecedented circumstances, she first presented proposals to the Chief Whips Forum, which does not have decision-making authority.
The move follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court of South Africa directing Parliament to establish an impeachment committee to assess an independent panel report. The report found that Ramaphosa may have violated the law.
As a result, Didiza confirmed that 16 of the 18 political parties represented in Parliament will have seats on the committee.
ANC, DA And MK Party Secure Most Seats
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will hold the second-largest share with five seats.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) will have three representatives, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will have two.
All remaining participating parties will each be allocated one seat.
The GOOD Party and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) were excluded because their sole Members of Parliament currently serve in Cabinet.
Smaller Parties Included In Committee Representation
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo explained the rationale behind the committee’s structure.
“The determination seeks to balance traditional proportional representation with a measure of inclusivity, so as to ensure that smaller political parties – which may otherwise not be accommodated through a strict mathematical application of proportional representation – are also afforded representation and participation in the committee’s work.”
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Political parties represented in the committee have until 22 May to submit the names of their nominees.
The largest committee ever constituted by Parliament was the 36-member Section 194 committee, which oversaw the impeachment proceedings against former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
