EFF slams Didiza over ‘dishonest’ defence of Ramaphosa interdict
In a radio interview on Monday, Didiza defended her decision, saying she had obtained two legal opinions.
Black News 
The EFF has accused National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza of dishonesty and political bias, slamming her refusal to oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent bid to halt impeachment proceedings as “irrational, disingenuous and a betrayal of parliament’s constitutional duty.”
Legal opinions
In a radio interview on Monday, Didiza defended her decision, saying she had obtained two legal opinions.
Pressed further, she pointed to the opinion obtained by the Impeachment Committee – a separate respondent – despite having received her own legal advice that explicitly urged opposition.
“I had obtained two legal opinions, one advised that I oppose the interdict, and the other was the opinion obtained by the Impeachment Committee.”
“My decision was based on the advice I received, and I followed the guidance that was given to me. I was guided by legal opinion not to oppose Ramaphosa’s interdict on the committee,” Didiza said.
‘Not only disingenuous, but irrational’
The EFF said Didiza’s explanation was “not only disingenuous, but irrational and fundamentally dishonest,” stressing that the committee’s opinion was never meant to advise the speaker.
“The distinction is both legal and material,” the party argued, adding that it is “absurd” for Didiza to rely on advice prepared for another respondent.
“Her actions confirm a disturbing willingness to subordinate parliament’s constitutional obligations to the political interests of the ANC and President Ramaphosa. She has now fully surrendered her office, no longer acting in defence of the National Assembly’s authority but protecting a compromised president at all costs,” the EFF said.
Shielding Ramaphosa
Meanwhile, chairperson of parliament’s impeachment committee Makashule Gana has warned that shielding Ramaphosa “would violate constitutional accountability and breach the separation of powers”.
Gana filed his opposing affidavit in the Western Cape High Court on Monday in support of the committee’s decision last week to challenge Ramaphosa’s attempt to halt the committee’s work pending a review of the parliamentary report.
Gana said the committee would continue with its work despite the legal challenge.
Impeachment committee
“The work of the committee continues, and we will have a meeting on Wednesday to consider the terms of reference and also the process of appointing evidence leaders.”
The committee was established after the Constitutional Court’s 8 May judgment set aside the National Assembly’s 2022 decision not to proceed with the impeachment process and referred the Independent Panel’s report to an impeachment committee for consideration.
Ramaphosa wants the report’s recommendations declared unlawful and set aside, challenging the panel’s findings that there was prima facie evidence of a serious violation of the constitution and the law, as well as serious misconduct.
He approached the Western Cape High Court seeking an urgent interdict while he challenges the Section 89 Independent Panel’s report, seeking to prevent the start of an impeachment inquiry until his separate review application against the report has been finalised.
