MKP’s Hlophe intensifies criticism of Ramaphosa ahead of impeachment court showdown
uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) parliamentary leader John Hlophe has doubled down on his criticism of President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing him of deliberately undermining constitutional processes as a high-stakes legal battle over impeachment proceedings gets underway in the Western Cape High Court.
Speaking outside court ahead of the hearing on Tuesday, Hlophe delivered an expanded and forceful defence of Parliament’s duty to hold the President accountable, while rejecting Ramaphosa’s attempt to halt the impeachment inquiry.
Hlophe pointed to the origins of the Phala Phala scandal, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft of foreign currency already raised serious red flags.
"Based on that amount of money alone, coupled with the fact that we do not transact in dollars in South Africa, there was clearly something amiss."
He stressed that, as Head of State, Ramaphosa is constitutionally prohibited from conducting private business while in office — making the matter even more serious.
"Remember, he is the President of the country and is therefore not allowed to do business whilst serving as Head of State. That alone warranted scrutiny and accountability."
Hlophe further defended the findings of the Section 89 panel, chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, saying it had already established sufficient grounds for deeper investigation.
"Admittedly, there is a lot of hearsay evidence in the report. However, the panel concluded that based on Ramaphosa’s own version of events, the matter should be probed further."
He emphasised that the recommendation to establish an impeachment committee was not arbitrary but rooted in the President’s own account.
"This was not speculation — it was his own version that led the panel to say: this matter requires proper interrogation."
ANC accused of “abusing its majority”
Hlophe sharply criticised the ANC’s role in Parliament, accusing it of shielding Ramaphosa from accountability.
"When the matter reached the National Assembly, the ANC abused its majority and voted to halt the impeachment process."
He highlighted that only a small number of ANC MPs broke ranks.
"There were only five members of the ANC who dissented. Everyone else voted against referring the matter for further probing. That tells you everything about the political protection at play."
Ramaphosa’s court bid a “waste of time”
Hlophe was particularly critical of Ramaphosa’s urgent application to the High Court, describing it as legally baseless and a tactic to delay proceedings.
"We submit Ramaphosa is wasting time. You cannot interdict an inquiry which has already been directed by the apex court."
He stressed that the Constitutional Court’s authority is final.
"Once the Constitutional Court has made a ruling, there is no further appeal. There is no other court with competent jurisdiction to entertain the matter."
He cited precedent involving Ramaphosa himself to reinforce the argument.
"There is case law — including a matter involving President Ramaphosa — which makes it clear that no lower court can interfere with a Constitutional Court decision. He knows this, which is why we say this application is nothing more than a delay tactic."
Hlophe also accused Ramaphosa of intentionally excluding political parties from his court application.
"Political parties represented in the National Assembly were not cited. That forced us to go to court and apply for leave to intervene.
"All parties should have been cited. It was a deliberate act on his part not to do so — another delaying tactic."
Speaker accused of acting “improperly”
Turning his attention to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, Hlophe alleged misconduct in her handling of the legal process.
"The Speaker ignored advice from senior counsel that she should oppose Ramaphosa’s application and instead filed a notice to abide."
He claimed she later sought alternative legal opinions to justify her decision.
"She acted first and thereafter sought advice to justify her improper conduct. That sequence of events is deeply concerning."
The MKP has since filed a motion to have Didiza summoned before the impeachment committee.
"She must come and explain why she ignored proper legal advice and acted contrary to it," he said.
Executive “placed above Parliament”
Hlophe framed the dispute as a broader constitutional issue, accusing the ANC of undermining Parliament’s oversight role.
"The duty of Parliament is to ensure that the executive accounts. What we are seeing now is the tail wagging the dog.
"The executive has been placed above Parliament, and that is unconstitutional. The President must account — he is not above the law."
Political tensions escalate
Hlophe confirmed that the MKP has filed a motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa and supports a similar move by the Economic Freedom Fighters against the Speaker.
"We are working with progressive forces to ensure accountability. If these processes are blocked, we have alternative measures — and we will expose those who stand in the way," he warned.
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