CAPE TOWN, Western Cape — A historic motion of no confidence in National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has been defeated in Parliament, marking a significant setback for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The EFF had tabled the motion accusing Speaker Didiza of mishandling President Cyril Ramaphosa’s impeachment process, specifically challenging her refusal to oppose the President’s legal bid to interdict the proceedings linked to the 2020 theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala farm.
Ahead of the vote, EFF Treasurer-General and Member of Parliament Omphile Maotwe confirmed that the party had actively consulted with other political formations, including the Democratic Alliance (DA), to build support for the unprecedented motion. Maotwe emphasized that this was the first motion of its kind since the dawn of democracy, necessitated by the Speaker’s failure to protect Parliament’s integrity during the equally unprecedented impeachment proceedings against a sitting president.
Maotwe strongly criticized the decision to conduct the debate on a virtual platform, arguing that Parliament’s physical facilities, such as the Dome, are fully paid for and remain idle. He highlighted the inherent risks of virtual disruptions, citing past incidents of members unmuting from inappropriate locations, and dismissed the African National Congress (ANC)’s justification that members were occupied with local government electioneering. Maotwe pointed out the irony of this excuse, noting that the ANC had previously rejected the EFF’s proposal for synchronized elections, which would have prevented such scheduling conflicts and ensured uninterrupted service delivery.
Addressing the legal context surrounding the impeachment, Maotwe clarified that the Western Cape High Court had not halted the parliamentary process. Instead, the court merely agreed to hear the President’s concerns regarding potential reputational damage from witness testimonies. Maotwe argued that President Ramaphosa’s reputation was already compromised by his own admission that funds were indeed stolen from the Phala Phala farm, making the concern over reputational damage moot.
Despite these arguments, the motion was ultimately defeated, with 101 members voting in favor and 282 voting against.
Following the defeat, EFF Member of Parliament Carl Niehaus expressed profound disappointment, stating that the motion was a necessary and principled step to hold the executive accountable. Niehaus accused the DA and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) of flip-flopping at the last minute due to political expediency and pressure to maintain the cohesion of the government of national unity (GNU).
Niehaus also condemned the ANC’s conduct surrounding the vote. He highlighted that while the party initially opposed a physical sitting citing election duties, they subsequently convened their members at the Garden Court Hotel in Woodstock. According to Niehaus, this last-minute gathering resulted in technological chaos and further damaged Parliament’s image, proving that the ruling party was more concerned with protecting the President than upholding parliamentary independence.
A critical point raised by Niehaus was the Speaker’s alleged lack of independence. He revealed that Speaker Didiza sought external legal opinions from a law firm associated with former ANC Treasurer-General Mathews Phosa, reportedly after being dissatisfied with internal parliamentary legal advice. Niehaus argued this was a deliberate move to justify protecting President Ramaphosa, further compromising the Speaker’s impartiality and misrepresenting the official legal guidance she received.
Despite the parliamentary setback, Niehaus affirmed that the EFF remains committed to holding the impeachment committee accountable. The party vowed to keep pressure on the process to ensure President Ramaphosa faces consequences for the Phala Phala saga, warning that the recent vote does not absolve the Speaker of her compromised position.