Parliament on Thursday shot down claims from opposition parties that it was dragging its feet with the Phala Phala matter, saying it’s untested.
The call to appoint an ad hoc committee to investigate all the alleged violations was “premature and misleading”, Parliament said in a statement.
A forum of political parties represented in Parliament said on Wednesday that they plan to submit the names of four retired judges, which includes former chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, to the National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula for an independent panel that would investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm scandal.
The panel forms part of the African Transformation Movement’s efforts to impeach Ramaphosa following allegations he covered up a $4 million (about R67m) theft at his game farm in Limpopo in 2020.
EFF leader Julius Malema spoke at a media conference on Wednesday where nine opposition parties jointly demanded that Ramaphosa be held accountable.
Malema said the retired judges on the panel that would investigate the president were Mogoeng, Dikgang Moseneke, Bernard Ngoepe and Yvonne Mokgoro.
The parties backing the action include EFF, UDM, ATM and COPE.
On Thursday, Parliament argued that the Speaker always acted quickly and in accordance with the rules and the law, “thus demonstrating the seriousness with which Parliament regards not only its supervisory role, but also the need that such processes must be carried out procedurally”.
The Speaker had previously dismissed a similar motion because it did not comply with the rules.
“The delay in processing this matter was therefore never due to the alleged lack of action on the part of the speaker.”
Parliament said when a motion was in order, the Speaker would immediately refer it and supporting documents to an independent panel of experts. The Speaker must appoint the panel after political parties represented in the assembly have been given a reasonable opportunity to propose members.
Mapisa-Nqakula had already invited political parties to suggest the names of suitable persons to serve on the independent panel. The parties indicated on Wednesday that they would submit proposals by September 1.
The independent panel's function is to conduct a preliminary assessment of the motion and evidence and to make findings and recommendations to the National Assembly within 30 days on the issue of whether there is sufficient evidence that Ramaphosa committed any of the offences mentioned in the motion.
“Once the panel’s work has been completed, it will be tabled in the National Assembly,” the statement said.
This week the DA announced that it would not support the other opposition parties in their bid to move for a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa at this stage.