Phala Phala impeachment committee freezes new evidence leader process over court challenges
Parliament’s Section 89 committee will oppose two court challenges to its decision to withdraw Thandazani Madonsela SC’s recommendation as evidence leader and will delay appointing a replacement.
The impeachment committee on the Section 89 Enquiry is currently making decisions by vote due to block politicking and numerical superiority, according to the source material. This continues despite attempts at consensus. However, Wednesday's proceedings demonstrated that when the political interests of the GNU partners and the opposition progressive caucus align, consensus can be reached.
In a 19 to 9 vote, the committee opposed the EFF's challenge to its decision to rescind the selection of advocate Thandazani Madonsela as the evidence leader. This means that the committee, led by its chairperson, will resist the EFF's urgent request to the Western Cape Division of the High Court, along with a similar request from the African Legal Professionals Association.
The opposition between the opposition progressive caucus and the GNU coalition parties continued throughout the proceedings, with the GNU parties holding the majority against the progressive caucus. EFF MP Omphile Maotwe argued that the impeachment committee had made a decision to recommend Madonsela, which was then rescinded without new evidence, posing a risk to Parliament's powers and decision-making.
"When we change the decision... we are no longer a legislature; we are simply an extension of the Presidency," she stated.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
