South Africa: Speaker Thoko Didiza's Decision to Favour Party Over Parliament Sparks Fierce Criticism

Thoko Didiza, the National Assembly Speaker, is challenged to prioritise Parliament's integrity over her obligations to the ANC, raising important questions about political loyalty.

The office of Speaker has long been considered one of the hardest jobs in SA politics, demanding a constant balancing act between party loyalty and the constitutional duty to protect Parliament as an institution.

National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza embodies this challenge after deciding not to oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa's urgent application to halt impeachment proceedings arising from the Phala Phala scandal.

In a statement on Sunday, 21 June, Parliament's spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, said Didiza had carefully considered legal advice and the respective roles of the National Assembly and the impeachment committee before deciding not to oppose the application.

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"The Speaker, having considered all the views and processes, came to a conclusion that it will be important to file a notice to abide with an explanatory affidavit to complement the committee's opposition papers and, most importantly, to explain to the court what Parliament has done to comply with the judgment of the Constitutional Court," he said.

Mothapo said the Speaker believed her approach was "entirely consistent with the respective roles and responsibilities of the Assembly versus those of the impeachment committee".

He rejected suggestions that the two were at odds, saying: "While the approaches adopted by the Speaker...