CAPE TOWN - Members of Parliament have called for the shortest possible path to be followed in establishing and running the Phala Phala Impeachment Committee proceedings in Parliament.
A Constitutional Court judgment has set aside the previous motion which ignored the Phala Phala report, meaning that the Impeachment Committee process will now have to be followed.
Parliament’s committee on the Review of National Assembly Rules met on Thursday night to discuss the implications of the judgment, and how to navigate the ruling going forward.
Committee members deliberated over the Constitutional Court ruling and how Parliament needs to implement it.
Parliament’s legal team advised that a meaningful inquiry cannot be bypassed and that the committee must assess whether misconduct occurred.
Advocate Andrew Breitenbach, Parliamentary legal advisor, said MPs should consider whether or not there should be an evidence leader and how the testimony of evidence from witnesses will be regulated including their questioning.
But many MPs seem to want to hurry that process along and not let it get bogged down in a long inquiry process. MPs will now take these discussions back to their caucuses to get further input on the ConCourt
Another Rules Committee meeting has been scheduled for next week to further deliberate on the issue.
Report by Kevin Brandt.