CAPE TOWN — President Cyril Ramaphosa’s impeachment court challenge to halt Parliament’s Section 89 proceedings has been firmly rebuked by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who describe the urgent application as a baseless delay tactic ahead of today’s hearing at the Western Cape High Court.
Omphile Maotwe, Treasurer General of the EFF and the fourth respondent in the matter, addressed the media outside the court, outlining the party’s legal stance. Maotwe asserted that the President’s application is neither urgent nor justiciable, noting that the underlying issues date back to 2022, which fundamentally defeats any claim of urgency.
According to Maotwe, the President’s current legal maneuver is a continuation of avoidance. She recalled that when the initial panel report was brought to Parliament prior to the vote, the President sought court intervention to prevent Parliament from considering it. However, once he realized he commanded a majority in Parliament, he withdrew that review application and remained silent for over a year while the EFF pursued the matter in the Constitutional Court.
Now that a Constitutional Court judgment has explicitly directed that the matter be referred to the impeachment committee, Maotwe argued, the President is rushing to the courts to interdict the very committee tasked with holding him accountable.
In his application papers, the President’s legal team argues that the panel erred in interpreting its mandate, claiming there was insufficient evidence to prove he acted outside the boundaries of presidential conduct. Maotwe dismissed this reasoning, stating that determining the validity of such evidence is the precise purpose for which the impeachment committee was established.
She pointed out the political irony of the situation, noting that during the parliamentary voting debates, both the DA and the ANC argued it would be premature to initiate impeachment proceedings because no party had taken the matter on judicial review. Now that the President has initiated a review, Maotwe stated, it only proves he knows his case lacks merit and is attempting to buy time until the end of his term.
Maotwe emphasized that there is no escape from the process. Even if the President were to resign or leave office, the EFF maintains that he can still be impeached and stripped of his presidential benefits.
Expressing confidence in the judiciary, Maotwe praised the courts for remaining unbiased and strictly interpreting the law, rejecting any notion that the expert panel and judges lacked the mandate to proceed. She affirmed that the parliamentary panel report stands firmly as is, and the EFF is prepared to interrogate the report, call witnesses, and get to the bottom of the matter.
The Western Cape High Court is scheduled to commence proceedings on the matter at 10:00 AM, where the merit of the urgent application will be thoroughly examined.
