Solly Moeng: Impeachment drama — Cyril fights, Mashatile waits, and SA is watching the DA…

The possible impeachment of President Cyril Ramaphosa seems one step closer with the composition of a “very diverse, multi-party” Impeachment Committee, but the President is fighting back with a court bid to try and stop the inquiry. In this interview with Chris Steyn, Political Commentator Solly Moeng describes how the President is “kicking the ball down the road” and “trying to buy more time” whilst facing “people who want him to be removed because maybe it'll advance their chances towards power through coalitions”, while “others want him to be removed because what he did is wrong”. As for Deputy President Paul Mashatile waiting in the wings: “I fear that if he were to become president, he might not be friendly towards the criminal justice system. The same way that Zuma came into the Presidency running away from the long arm of the law. And people like that coming there, the first thing they do is to ensure that they will weaken any part of the State that might go after them for stuff they did or they are alleged to have done in the past.” As for how the Democratic Alliance (DA) is likely to emerge from the impeachment process, Moeng says: “Now they have an opportunity to show that they still stand for the principle that they've always promoted themselves to be standing for.” He also comments on anti-immigrant protests that have sparked urgent government talks at the Union Buildings to formulate a national plan to deal with the rising xenophobia in South Africa.