Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, former speaker of the National Assembly. (Photo: Screengrab)
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, former speaker of the National Assembly, now himself says that the ANC at the time abused its majority in parliament to prevent Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa is placed in a state of impeachment because of the Phala Phala scandal.
She also admits in so many words that she was always “anxious” about what the Constitutional Court would finally say about what unfolded under her supervision in parliament at the time.
Mapisa-Nqakula served as speaker of parliament when members of parliament had to vote in December 2022 whether to reject or accept the article 89 panel’s report, which found there was enough evidence that Ramaphosa had violated the Constitution.
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, former EFF MP, asks the former speaker directly in the latest episode of his African Renaissance podcast whether the ANC abused its majority in parliament at the time with the special vote.
“I think we have,” came Mapisa-Nqakula’s answer.
“I hate to say it. I think we did.”
The podcast was made a day after the Constitutional Court ordered on Friday that the special vote which at the time had to determine whether Ramaphosa should be placed in a state of impeachment was unconstitutional and therefore invalid.
Mapisa-Nqakula says in the podcast that she listened to every word of Chief Justice Mandisa Maya’s ruling and then sat in her bedroom thinking: “What could I have done better?”
She admits the verdict is a very bad reflection of the parliament. “There are certain things that we have not done in a way that is expected by South Africans.
“It also brings back sad memories, you know, party agenda.
“Sometimes as politicians we have to think beyond the party agenda.”
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula (June 2022) (Photo: GCIS)
Mbalula to blame
Mapisa-Nqakula does not blame the ANC for the situation in which the party currently finds itself. She blames Fikile Mbalula, the secretary general of the ANC.
Mapisa-Nqakula reveals in the podcast that Mbalula made it very clear to the ANC’s caucus before the vote that they could not vote in favor of the report.
Mbalula apparently argued that it was a report from the speaker. “He said: That report is a report of the speaker, so you will debate the report and then you will reject the report.
“It was a red flag for me,” admits Mapisa-Nqakula now almost four years later.
“Because it could not be a report from the speaker. It was an outcome of a process set out by the rules of parliament.”
Fikile Mbalula, secretary general of the ANC (Photo: MbalulaFikile/X)
She says that at the time she was sad after the vote.
“I was sad because I immediately realized what the possible consequences would be. Some parties were very clear that they were going to the Constitutional Court.
“I have always been anxious about what verdict the Constitutional Court would deliver.
“When the court now said the process is flawed and that it must go back to parliament, I was hurt,” she says in the podcast.
“Because now it goes back to parliament and the environment is completely different. Not only are we in a government of national unity, we also don’t have a majority in parliament.”
According to Mapisa-Nqakula, she has never seen her organisation, the ANC, lose. “We have always maintained that the ANC must maintain its majority. Whatever the circumstances, whatever the problems we may have in the organisation, the ANC must always ensure that it protects its majority, not abusing its majority.
Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa (10 January 2026)
“The ANC must always maintain its integrity as an organisation.”
Mapisa-Nqakula believes the ANC could have prevented the situation in which it now finds itself if it had not abused its majority at the time.
“If we had followed the route we were supposed to take at the time, I don’t think we would have had the kind of problems we have now,” she admits now.
“We could have allowed that process to go through, and put the people we want on the committees, as we do on all committees, and show everyone that we have nothing to fear.
“My fear now is that there is no clear thinking. There is a lot of panic. And the panic will get us nowhere. If anything, it will probably reverse the gains we have made as an organization.”
Her only hope now is that the ANC as an organization will rethink and make the best decision possible “for the organization but also for the people of South Africa”.
“Because you cannot avoid this process now.”