Political storm brews as ATM tables no-confidence motion against Ramaphosa
Troubles are mounting for President Cyril Ramaphosa after the African Transformation Movement (ATM) filed a motion of no confidence.
Image: File/IOL graphics
President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing mounting pressure as the African Transformation Movement (ATM) has formally tabled a motion of no confidence in Parliament, seeking the removal of both the President and his Cabinet.
This comes as Ramaphosa continues to deal with the fallout from the Constitutional Court ruling, which found that Parliament acted unlawfully in its handling of the Section 89 impeachment process linked to the Phala Phala matter.
The court said the National Assembly failed to properly exercise its constitutional oversight role when it blocked moves to establish an impeachment inquiry, reopening political scrutiny of how the case was dealt with.
Delivering the judgment on a case jointly brought by EFF and African ATM, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya also ruled that Parliament should form an impeachment committee to determine whether Ramaphosa was still fit to hold office.
IOL also previously reported that, soon after the Constitutional Court (CC) ruling on the Phala Phala scandal on Friday morning, EFF leader Julius Malema called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign immediately to prepare for his impeachment proceedings.
“With this judgment, if we had a responsible president, he should be resigning, as you cannot have a president who is preparing for an impeachment process this side and occupying the office at the same time, because one is going to suffer.
“Remember that even if he resigns, he must still come for impeachment,” Malema said.
In a letter to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, the ATM said it is invoking Section 102 of the Constitution to trigger a vote of no confidence, arguing that recent developments have undermined public trust.
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“The House therefore resolves that the National Assembly, in terms of Section 102(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, has no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa and accordingly resolves that the President and the entire Cabinet must resign.”
It further argued that “the continued tenure of President Cyril Ramaphosa is incompatible with the constitutional principles of accountability, transparency and the rule of law".
IOL News