CAPE TOWN - ActionSA has slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa's attempt to halt the National Assembly from proceeding with the impeachment inquiry process.
The party is urging that Parliament's Constitutional duties cannot be suspended through litigation.
On Friday, Ramaphosa filed papers in the Western Cape High Court seeking an interdict against National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza and Impeachment Committee Chairperson Makashule Gana.
The president wants them barred from commencing the impeachment inquiry, pending the decision on his review application regarding the Independent Panel report.
"Parliament is experiencing déjà vu because this is exactly the same playbook that President Ramaphosa's predecessor Jacob Zuma used," said ActionSA MP, Athol Trollip.
READ | Ramaphosa seeks to halt impeachment inquiry proceedings
"We also saw that the ANC shielded Zuma and did so with Ramaphosa. The Constitutional Court has ruled that Parliament must do what it must do. We are going to put on every pressure we can to make sure that Parliament does it's job this time around and that we aren't found wanting again," Trollip added.
He said while Ramaphosa was entitled to take the report of the Section 89 Independent Panel under review, he cannot interdict the work of the impeachment committee.
"That is an indication that he wants to prevent Parliament from doing what it is supposed to do. We believe Parliament must do as we were instructed by the Constitutional Court ruling. Cyril Ramaphosa must take this one on the chin, this is a making of his own doing and he must account for it."
Trollip said ActionSA was going to put pressure on Parliament to fight back legally.
"We are not just going to roll over because the president brings an interdict against the work of the committee. The president must do what he must do and we as parliament must do what we must do. We must protect the role of parliament that is there to protect the constitution, we are not here to protect Ramaphosa. We are not going to allow parliament to be bullied by the president or the ANC."
In light of the interdict, the committee's chairperson is now awaiting legal advice before the work of the committee continues. The committee is set to meet virtually on Thursday.