Victory for accountability as Speaker removes Prof Calland from Section 89 Inquiry independent panel

27 September 2022

Please find attached a soundbite by Siviwe Gwarube MP.

The DA welcomes the removal of Professor Richard Calland from the Section 89 Inquiry’s independent panel.

This panel will be tasked with assessing whether there is prima facie evidence that President Cyril Ramaphosa has contravened the law in the Phala Phala saga, and whether impeachment proceedings should be instituted against him by Parliament.

Following pressure from the DA and other opposition parties, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, today, agreed to withdraw Prof Calland’s ill-advised appointment.

According to a letter form the Speaker, Calland himself acknowledges his appointment might “clutter or otherwise impair” the process.

This a victory for the institution of Parliament and indeed the legitimacy of the section 89 Inquiry. Professor Calland’s inclusion would have been in contravention of Rule 129G of the National Assembly in that that panel members must be independent and impartial.

Calland – while an expert in the field – has entered the political fray by routinely making his political views public. His inclusion would have been a spectacular error in judgement on the part of the Speaker and the institution.

The Speaker must now look at the remaining names submitted by political parties to serve on the panel and select a truly independent candidate so that the Section 89 Inquiry panel can begin its work.

Issued by Siviwe Gwarube, Chief Whip of the Official Opposition, 27 September 2022