The ATM says it is encouraged that the Constitutional Court will be asked to clarify last week’s Western Cape High Court judgment that granted Ramaphosa an interim interdict against Parliament’s impeachment process.

The ATM, which initiated the Section 89 process in Parliament, is a respondent in the matter. The party has approached the Constitutional Court on an urgent basis, seeking clarity on the effect of the High Court order and the way forward for Parliament’s Impeachment Committee.

ATM Leader Vuyo Zungula said the application is aimed at protecting accountability and ensuring that public office bearers are not shielded from scrutiny. “We want to assure South Africans that if anyone occupies public office, they must be held accountable,” Zungula said.

Zungula said SA’s political and governance problems are linked to what the ATM views as a culture of impunity. “The reason why there is a Madlanga Commission, there is all of this mess that we have in our country, it is because there is a culture of impunity,” Zungula said.

According to Zungula, accountability should not depend on political preference or the status of the person involved. “People start changing their tune because their favourite is going to be held accountable, but if it’s someone that they do not like, they aggressively push accountability for that person,” Zungula said.

Zungula said Ramaphosa should not be treated differently because of the office occupied. “It cannot be because President Ramaphosa is the president of the country that he must be subjected to different laws,” Zungula said.

The Western Cape High Court ruling prevented Parliament’s Impeachment Committee from proceeding with public hearings linked to the Section 89 process. The ATM argues that the judgment has created constitutional uncertainty over Parliament’s oversight responsibilities and the separation of powers.

–SABC/ChannelAfrica–