The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa’s claim that parliamentary processes could cause him irreparable reputational and political harm before any final findings are made.
The party has approached the Constitutional Court on an urgent basis, seeking to overturn a ruling that suspended Parliament’s public hearings into the Phala Phala farm saga.
The EFF wants the apex court to set aside a Western Cape High Court judgment, arguing that the decision unlawfully prevented Parliament’s Impeachment Committee from fulfilling its constitutional mandate.
EFF Member of Parliament Mazwi Blose said the use of legal action to delay the impeachment process undermines accountability and weakens Parliament’s oversight role.
Blose questioned the President’s argument that participating in the inquiry would cause irreparable harm, saying the purpose of the impeachment process is to provide an opportunity for the President to publicly respond to the allegations.
He said the hearings are intended to allow Ramaphosa to clear his name before the South African public, making claims of irreparable harm difficult to justify.
Blose further accused the President of using the courts to delay accountability, arguing that the legal challenge is aimed at avoiding scrutiny over what transpired at the Phala Phala farm. He maintained that the EFF does not believe the President’s argument has any legal or factual merit.