National Assembly Speaker Moves to Establish Impeachment Committee in Line With ConCourt Ruling
- National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didida has moved to establish a 31-member Impeachment Committee
- The committee will feature members from all 16 political parties in the National Assembly and investigate the Phala Phala case
- The Democratic Alliance has submitted its list of five members who would sit on the committee and probe the Phala Phala farm theft
Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
WESTERN CAPE – The Speaker of the National Assembly will initiate the process to constitute the Impeachment Committee, following the Constitutional Court’s ruling regarding the Phala Phala saga.
The Speaker, Thoko Didiza, announced the seven steps that will be taken following the court’s ruling that the National Assembly acted unconstitutionally when it rejected a report into the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm in 2020. The Section 89 Independent Panel Report found prima facie evidence that the president may have violated his oath of office regarding the cover-up of the theft of foreign currency from his farm.
Speaker announces steps to be taken
On Monday, 11 May 2026, Didiza announced that in compliance with the judgment of the Court, she would formally refer the Independent Panel Report to the Impeachment Committee. She will also provide the President of the Republic with a copy of the Independent Panel Report forthwith, as directed by the Constitutional Court.
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While the Speaker has indicated that proceedings would now begin, there are no timelines provided for when anything will start or how long the committee will have to investigate the matter.
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Political parties to submit names for committee
On Wednesday, 13 May 2026, the Speaker announced that a 31-member impeachment committee would be set up to investigate the President regarding Phala Phala.
The committee will be comprised of 31 members from all 16 political parties represented in the National Assembly. The parties have until 22 May 2026 to submit the names of the members.
The seat allocation is as follows:
African National Congress (9), Democratic Alliance (5), uMkhonto weSizwe Party (3), Economic Freedom Fighters (2), Inkatha Freedom Party (1), Patriotic Alliance (1), Freedom Front Plus (1), ActionSA (1), African Christian Democratic Party (1), United Democratic Movement (1), RISE Mzansi (1), Build One South Africa (1), African Transformation Movement (1), Al Jama-ah (1), National Coloured Congress (1), and United Africans Transformation (1).
The party also reiterated that if there was a finding of wrongdoing against the President, the DA would hold him accountable.
"We respect the rule of law and have a constitutional duty to hold the executive accountable in a constructive manner, in the best interest of all South Africans," the party said in a statement.
Democratic Alliance announces five-member team
The Democratic Alliance has since submitted the names of the five members who will represent the party on the Impeachment Committee.
George Michalakis (Parliamentary Leader), Bax Nodada (Deputy Chief Whip), Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach, Karabo Khakhau (National Spokesperson), and Nazley Sharif will represent the party.
Other stories about the ConCourt ruling
Briefly News has covered several articles about the aftermath of the ruling, as several politicians weighed in on the judgment.
- Julius Malema welcomed the ConCourt’s ruling and suggested that Ramaphosa resign before he was impeached.
- Mahlengi Bhengu said that the African National Congress was committed to the rule of law following the ruling.
- The Democratic Alliance said that the president must be held accountable after the ConCourt’s decision.
- Gayton McKenzie insisted that the Patriotic Alliance would not vote to impeach President Ramaphosa.
- Herman Mashaba called the Phala Phala saga a serious embarrassment to the nation.
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula discusses Phala Phala vote
Briefly News reported that Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula recently discussed the 2022 National Assembly vote regarding the Phala Phala report.
The former National Assembly spokesperson explained that ANC Members of Parliament were told to vote against the report.
South Africans took to social media to express scepticism over Mapisa-Nqakula's sincerity, given her own legal battles of late.
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Source: Briefly News
