Cape town: National Assembly Speaker, Thoko Didiza, has outlined the next step in the National Assembly process on the composition of the Impeachment Committee, in accordance with section 89 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Section 89 impeachment process is linked to the 2020 theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm.
According to South African Government News Agency, Didiza engaged the National Assembly Chief Whips Forum earlier in the day on the process to be followed in establishing the committee. The forum comprises Chief Whips and representatives of political parties represented in the National Assembly. Parliament emphasized that the impeachment committee process is uncharted procedural terrain, necessitating this engagement.
Political parties represented in the National Assembly have now been requested to submit the names of Members who will serve on the committee to the National Assembly Secretariat by the close of business on Friday, 22 May 2026. Parliament to reopen Section 89 process after court ruling. Didiza has considered both proportional representation and inclusivity in determining the composition of the committee.
The approach seeks to ensure smaller political parties are also represented in the committee, balancing traditional proportional representation with inclusivity. The impeachment committee will comprise 31 members drawn from the 16 political parties represented in the National Assembly. The African National Congress (ANC) will have nine members, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with five and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) with three.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will have two members, while other parties such as the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Patriotic Alliance (PA), and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) will each have one representative. Meanwhile, the Speaker has referred the Constitutional Court judgment relating to the matter to the National Assembly Subcommittee on the Review of Rules. The subcommittee will consider and process amendments required to the Rules of the National Assembly.