'Ramaphosa no different to Zuma' - opposition parties vow to continue Phala Phala battle
Opposition parties in Parliament have expressed their
disappointment with the outcome of Tuesday’s vote on the independent panel’s
report on Phala Phala.
During a special sitting of the National Assembly, the ANC ensured a majority vote against the adoption of the section 89 report.
It halts the process of impeachment against President Cyril Ramaphosa from getting underway, for now.
Some parties say they aren't ruling out the possibility of challenging the results in court.
READ: Ramaphosa dodges impeachment as Parliament snubs Phala Phala report
DA leader John Steenhuisen says the fight to hold the president accountable has just begun.
"What the ANC's perhaps have not realised is that the blocking of the report in Parliament today was a pyrrhic victory and that it shattered this myth around the party's so-called renewal."
"Today South Africans were left with no doubt that the presidency of Ramaphosa is no different to the presidency of Jacob Zuma."
EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys says they are weighing up their legal options.
"In light of the various breaches of the Constitution and the undermining of the integrity of the process of voting on whether to adopt the report, we will take the decision to reject the independent report on review and do so on an urgent basis."
Four ANC MPs - including Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - voted for the adoption of the report.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba says the majority of party members trampled on the Constitution by voting to protect the president.
"This is not how democracy works and this is not how ethical leaders operate. The ANC has again put party ahead of country by blocking Parliament from performing its constitutional duty in a manner that is reminiscent of Nkandla."
