Cape Town - The EFF is set to join the fray challenging President Cyril Ramaphosa over his bid to review and set aside the damning Section 89 panel report in the Constitutional Court.
The party has written, via its lawyers, to Ramaphosa’s legal team demanding to be cited as an interested party in the review application.
Ramaphosa cited members of the independent panel, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and ATM leader Vuyo Zungula as respondents in the review application.
Neither the EFF nor the UDM were cited, despite the two parties being among the only three that made submissions to the panel.
The party’s lawyers, Ian Levitt Attorneys, decried that the EFF was left out as an interested party to the proceedings.
“In the circumstances and in the interest of limiting unnecessary litigious costs and to avoid unduly burdening the court’s time and resources, we appeal that you join the EFF as a party; alternatively, confirm that you will not oppose the EFF’s application to be so joined,” the letter read.
Earlier this week the party accused Ramaphosa of turning to his “ally and confidant” in the Concourt, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, to reverse the panel’s findings.
“The fact that Ramaphosa has not even applied for the review on an urgent basis, shows that his sole interest is to cast doubt over the report and delay its processing by Parliament until he has emerged in the conference of the ANC.”
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has similarly raised concern about what he termed as a deliberate failure by Ramaphosa to cite parties represented in Parliament in the review application.
“The UDM will instruct its lawyers to demand that the president correct this situation, failing which it will bring an application to intervene and require the president to pay punitive costs in respect thereof,” Holomisa said.
While the ATM has indicated that it would instruct its legal team to oppose the review application, it could not be ascertained whether Mapisa-Nqakula has decided to oppose the application, or abide by the court decision.
Meanwhile, the ANC Veterans’ League national task team (NTT) noted that the mother body’s national executive committee endorsed Ramaphosa’s decision to take the panel report on review.
The task team’s convenor, Snuki Zikalala, said their meeting on Wednesday was unanimous that the ANC leadership needed to act in the best interests of the country, ahead of the special sitting of Parliament and the elective conference.
“This involves minimising uncertainty, having a managed, transparent process and respecting the rule of law.
“This is a time when disruptive forces can destabilise efforts to renew the ANC, and this must be guarded against at all costs,” Zikalala said.
Cape Times