The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has argued that the Western Cape High Court should not intervene in President Cyril Ramaphosa's bid to halt Parliament's impeachment process, saying the matter has already been settled by the Constitutional Court.
The President's urgent application entered its second day of hearings on Thursday, with the court considering whether Parliament's impeachment proceedings should be suspended pending a review of the Section 89 Independent Panel report into the Phala Phala matter.
Representing the MK Party, advocate Dali Mpofu told the court the case was not only about the merits of the impeachment process but also about whether the High Court had the authority to interfere in a matter already governed by Constitutional Court rulings.
Mpofu argued that the Constitutional Court had clearly outlined the legal requirements for challenging parliamentary impeachment proceedings and that Ramaphosa's legal team had failed to demonstrate bad faith, or mala fides, on the part of Parliament.
He submitted that the High Court should refrain from intervening in a process already directed by the country's highest court.
Mpofu urged the court to "stay in its lane", arguing that any challenge to the Constitutional Court's directives should be brought before the apex court itself rather than the High Court.
"With the greatest respect, this court must return a decision that says all this is very interesting, but we choose to stay in our lane and we are not going to annoy the Constitutional Court in the process of staying in our lane. If you have a problem, go to Braamfontein," Mpofu told the court.
The Western Cape High Court is expected to hear further arguments before deciding whether to grant the President's application to temporarily halt Parliament's impeachment process.