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<\/p>\nRabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za<\/p>\n
23 June 2026<\/p>\n
2-minute read<\/p>\n
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Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, Thoko Didiza has decided not to oppose President Ramaphosa\u2019s interdict of the impeachment committee, appearing to go against legal advice and presumably playing party politics.<\/p>\n
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo pointed out that the Speaker is the \u201cguide to the National Assembly\u201d to fulfil its national mandate and has done everything that was required of her in this matter. Didiza is \u201cfirmly aligned\u201d to the decision of the Constitutional Court, and even though the position taken by her is not identical to that of the Impeachment Committee, they are \u201ccomplimentary and mutually reinforcing.\u201d Didiza was directed to establish the Impeachment Committee, and it is her responsibility to execute the orders of the court. Furthermore, she was directed by the court to ensure that the rules are \u201cprocessed and amended in accordance with the directions of the court.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a clear legal strategy\u201d where the judges are more concerned with the substance of what is being presented to them than they are with who is opposing and who is not. Moloto said that it is \u201creally perplexing to think\u201d that people view the National Assembly and the Impeachment Committee as being at odds with each other, as the purpose of both is to uphold the fundamental constitution and obligation of parliament.<\/p>\n
The leaked legal opinion provides two scenarios \u2013 to abide or to oppose \u2013 and one was chosen by the Speaker. This is a weighty constitutional matter, and legal counsel was taken by the speaker, who is duty bound to consider all the options, beforehand. However, a legal opinion is a mere opinion and is not a court injunction or a court ruling.<\/p>\n
According to Moloto, Thoko Didiza considered all options before applying her mind and coming to a decision.<\/p>\n