The Democratic Alliance federal leader and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says that the collapse of the Government of National Unity (GNU) would be a “small price to pay” for his party if they are to send a strong message that no one, including a sitting president, is above the law.
In an interview with Africa Daily this week, Hill-Lewis threw his support behind the parliamentary Section 89 committee established to investigate whether President Cyril Ramaphosa committed serious violations of the Constitution or the law in relation to the Phala Phala farm scandal.
His remarks come amid growing political scrutiny over the pace of the committee’s work and concerns raised by some opposition parties regarding the election of Rise Mzansi chief organiser and MP Makashule Gana as chairperson.
Hill-Lewis said his focus was on ensuring that the committee proceeds with its work without unnecessary delays.
“I support the nomination of Makashule Gana and I want the work of the committee to proceed without delay,” he said.
“I don’t see that there’s any reason for undue or unnecessary delay.”
The Constitutional Court earlier ruled that Parliament had acted unlawfully when it adopted an independent panel report and effectively halted further processes relating to the Phala Phala matter. The judgment paved the way for the establishment of the Section 89 committee, which is tasked with determining whether sufficient grounds exist for impeachment proceedings.
National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza
announced that the committee would comprise 31 MPs: nine members from the ANC,
five from the DA, three from the MK Party, and two from the EFF.
The remaining seats would be filled by one member each from the PA, VF Plus, ActionSA, ACDP, UDM, Rise Mzansi, BOSA, ATM, Al Jama-ah, NCC and UAT.
GOOD and the PAC will not be represented on the committee, as their sole MPs both serve as Cabinet ministers.
While Ramaphosa continues to challenge aspects of the process through the courts, Hill-Lewis said the legal proceedings should not prevent Parliament from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities.
“The work of the president’s court case can proceed. He’s entitled to that. We don’t begrudge him that,” he said.
“But the work of the committee can also proceed. It has lots of work to do. There’s many, many months of work ahead in that committee to get to the truth there. So it must start and it must go.”
Asked whether his position could place him at odds with sections of the party or government partners who have rallied behind Ramaphosa, Hill-Lewis said he was not concerned.
“I’m not concerned,” he said.
“This is bigger than me. It’s bigger than this government. It’s bigger than any president.”
According to Hill-Lewis, the issue ultimately concerns the kind of democratic culture South Africa wants to build.
“It is about the kind of South Africa we want for the future,” he said.
“That South Africa has to be built on integrity. It has to be built on ethics in government. So we have to stand up for that.”
In his strongest remarks, Hill-Lewis suggested that preserving accountability was more important than preserving the GNU itself.
“And if that means that this government doesn’t survive, then that is a small price to pay for that principle,” he said.
His comments are likely to fuel debate within political circles about the balance between coalition stability and constitutional accountability as the Section 89 process gains momentum.
Hill-Lewis also dismissed suggestions that his views were out of step with the broader DA position.
“No one is … I think everyone inside the DA is absolutely united behind that principle,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hill-Lewis said he remains focused on the upcoming local government elections, where the DA is expected to face challenges from several parties, including the Patriotic Alliance, particularly in the Western Cape.
Asked about concerns that the DA could lose support in Cape Town, Hill-Lewis said he was taking nothing for granted.
“Politics, you only ever win someone’s vote one term at a time,” he said.
“You have to earn that person’s trust and that vote again.”
While defending the DA’s governance record in the Mother City, Hill-Lewis said the party would continue campaigning aggressively ahead of the polls.
“Cape Town is the most functional and successful city in South Africa by a long way,” he said.
“We’ve dealt with many of the infrastructure concerns. We’ve got the infrastructure back to a point where it is at a level of adequate and getting better, particularly for poorer residents where we’ve poured resources into particularly sewer and sanitation infrastructure. So I’m super proud of what we’ve achieved.”
“But over the next five months, I’m taking nothing for granted. I will go and fight for every single vote in Cape Town all over again because that’s the nature of politics.”
