Former CJ to chair Phala Phala panel
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula last night announced the independent three-person panel that must determine whether there is a prima facie case for President Cyril Ramaphosa's impeachment over the Phala Phala scandal.
Former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo will chair the panel alongside Judge Thokozile Masipa, former Judge of the Gauteng Division of the High Court and Professor Richard Calland, Associate Professor of Public Law at UCT.
A statement from Parliament noted that ‘after careful consideration of the names at her disposal…. the Speaker has appointed three fit and proper persons to discharge their assigned responsibilities’.
The panel will have 30 days to report back to Mapisa-Nqakula and must determine whether there are merits in the ATM's motion for Ramaphosa's removal. If the panel recommends that Ramaphosa has nothing to answer to then –once the National Assembly adopts that recommendation – it’s the end of any removal proceedings.
If it recommends to Parliament that Ramaphosa has a case to answer to, and the House adopts this, then the next phase kicks in – a Section 89 Impeachment Committee of MPs to inquire into the President’s fitness for office.
That process involves public hearings, which ultimately must lead to a decision that is backed by the National Assembly.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
