Section 89 Impeachment Committee pivots to terms of reference following Constitutional court order
The Parliamentary Impeachment Committee overseeing the Section 89 Enquiry has formally acknowledged a Constitutional Court order that halts its plans for immediate public hearings.
On Wednesday, the apex court denied a direct application for leave to appeal a previous Western Cape High Court judgment.
The High Court ruling had placed an interdict on the committee, legally preventing it from proceeding with its public hearing schedule.
Responding to the legal development, Committee Chairperson Makashule Gana confirmed that the body will fully comply with the judiciary’s directives.
“We will therefore move forward in line with the Western Cape High Court judgment,” Gana stated. “We are going to finalise the committee’s terms of reference and also receive an update on the appointment of the evidence leader at our next meeting.”
With public hearings temporarily shelved, the committee is shifting its immediate focus to internal administrative and structural frameworks.
The committee has already finalised its recommendations regarding the appointment of an evidence leader and is currently putting the finishing touches on its official terms of reference.
These terms will serve as the primary operational roadmap for the enquiry moving forward.
Gana highlighted that securing the evidence leader remains a critical milestone before any external processing can resume.
“Once the evidence leader has been appointed, we will move to the next stage, which will include considering the list of witnesses,” Gana added.
The committee’s next scheduled meeting is expected to formalise these preparatory steps as they navigate the revised legal parameters set by the courts.
