CAPE TOWN - Political Parties have expressed mixed reactions to the election of Rise Mzansi member of parliament Makashule Gana as the chairperson of the impeachment committee on the Section 89 Enquiry.
The 31-member committee met on Monday, during which voting took place.
While some members welcomed the appointment and called for the committee to begin its work now, others questioned whether Gana would be able to act independently.
Among those was ActionSA’s Lerato Ngobeni, who stood in disagreement with the outcome.
She claimed the ANC had ultimately secured its preferred candidate.
“We didn't get the worst possible outcome. We got the second worst possible outcome, because ultimately, the ANC wanted this chairperson at all costs,” she said.
Action SA voted against Gana during the proceedings, alongside the UDM, the EFF, and the MK Party.
The battle was between Gana and United Africans Transformation (UAT) president Dr Wonderboy Mahlatsi.
After an uninterrupted voting session, Gana came out at the top with 19 votes while Mahlatsi walked away with 12 votes.
Though not in agreement with Gana chairing the committee, Ngobeni said the focus should move towards transparency.
“We want to make sure that all who want to hold the president to account actually get to do so, irrespective of the outcome of this particular process.
“The opposition did its best to field a candidate who we believed would be impartial. And so, the jury is out as to what chair Makashule Gana is going to do,” Ngobeni said.
Agreeing with ActionSA was MK Party first deputy president and parliamentary leader John Hlophe.
Much like Ngobeni, Hlophe deemed this an ultimate win for the ANC.
“There's a reason why we're not supporting Honourable Gana. We've been in Parliament for almost two years. We've watched how he operates.
“Firstly, Rise Mzansi is a project of the ANC. Secondly, in the two years we've been here, he has never said anything against the ANC. He just tore the line,” Hlophe said.
Hlophe added that they want someone who will be truly independent, because the role of a chairperson is critical going forward.
“We are where we are today because of the mess that was created by the ANC by attempting to protect and cushion Cyril Ramaphosa. We don't want a repetition of what has happened before,” he said.
Not all reactions were negative.
African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) member Steve Swart said that now that the chairperson has been elected, he needs to be supported.
“We really believe this process is historic; it's unprecedented. We're going to need a lot of hard work and prayer for wisdom in this whole process.
“We're also fully aware that the rules need to be finalised as quickly as possible, but we need to start the work. And from our perspective, we will not be stopped. Parliament's work must continue,” Swart said.