National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has appointed a legal panel to assess if there are grounds to impeach President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala game farm robbery and alleged cover-up. They are:

• former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, who will chair the panel;
• former Gauteng judge Thokozile Masipa, known for the high-profile Oscar Pistorius trial; and
• Prof Richard Calland, associate professor of public law at the University of Cape Town.

This comes after the African Transformation Movement leader Vuyo Zungula submitted a motion to Mapisa-Nqakula requesting the house to initiate an inquiry into Ramaphosa’s removal from office as provided for by section 89 of the constitution. 

The speaker made the selection from 17 nominees recommended by political parties represented in the National Assembly. The parliamentary rules state the panel must consist of three fit and proper, competent, experienced and respected SA citizens, who collectively possess the necessary legal and other competencies and experience to perform the preliminary assessment of the motion.

The date for the panel to begin its work is yet to be announced, pending “administrative processes”, said the speaker.

The new rules that give effect to the section 89 removal of the president were adopted in November 2018 after the Constitutional Court ruled in 2017 the National Assembly must put in place procedures to give effect to that section of the constitution.

Ramaphosa told reporters on Saturday he would co-operate fully with the processes.

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