Political parties and non-governmental organisations have criticised National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza’s refusal to oppose the urgent application brought by President Cyril Ramaphosa to interdict the Impeachment Committee from carrying out its work.
This comes despite the committee voting last week to challenge the President’s interdict application in the Western Cape High Court.
The committee was established following an order of the Constitutional Court, which directed that the Independent Panel Report be referred to the Impeachment Committee for consideration in terms of the National Assembly Rules.
Instead, the Speaker has filed a notice indicating that she will abide by the court’s decision and has submitted an explanatory affidavit alongside the Impeachment Committee’s opposing papers.
“The purpose of the explanatory affidavit is to assist the court with aspects it must consider in making its final determination, including the stringent constitutional obligations on the National Assembly to proceed with and finalise the Section 89 proceedings.
“The content of the explanatory affidavit is believed to be consistent not only with the stance adopted by the Impeachment Committee, but also with the actions of the Speaker since the Constitutional Court judgment,” Didiza said in a statement.
ActionSA said it was deeply disappointed, but not surprised, by Didiza’s decision not to oppose the President’s attempt to evade accountability.
“This decision is a clear indication that the ANC has once again forced the hand of the Speaker, choosing political protection over constitutional duty.
“By refusing to act, the Speaker undermines Parliament’s obligation to serve as a check on executive power and sends the wrong message to South Africans about accountability at the highest office in the land,” said ActionSA Member of Parliament Lerato Ngobeni.
Ngobeni added that the party would continue to put pressure on both the Speaker and the chairperson of the committee “to ensure that accountability is not delayed by endless legal manoeuvres and Stalingrad tactics by the President”.
Meanwhile, civic organisation the Activists and Citizens Forum, through its representative Dennis Bloem, condemned and rejected the Speaker’s stance on the matter, describing it as bizarre.
“This is a very strange development, where the Speaker of Parliament has distanced herself from Members of Parliament and chosen to take her own position.
“We are nevertheless not surprised by this reactionary decision by the Speaker,” said Bloem.
The matter is scheduled to be heard in the Western Cape High Court on 15 and 16 July 2026.
