MK Party rallies support to oust Ramaphosa

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[00:00:00]seem to have Dr. Flopp back with us on the line. Good afternoon, Dr. Flopp. Uh, can you hear me?

[00:00:06]>> Yes, I can hear you. A very good afternoon to you and our viewers at home and our ground forces of season. Good afternoon.

[00:00:14]>> Much appreciated and thank you for indulging us. Dr. Cop, you have formally demanded the speaker to Diza to schedule a motion of no confidence and to underline without undue delay. Now, if the speaker chooses to prioritize the court order section 89 committee process first, will you view that as a legitimate procedural choice or will you view it as another delay tactic?

[00:00:41]>> I think it's fair to say we would view it as a delaying tactic. The two procedures are separate and distinct.

[00:00:48]The procedure in terms of section 89 of the constitution relates to impeachment for which a twothirds majority is required. Whereas in terms of section 102 of the constitution we're talking about a vote of no confidence for which a simple majority of 50% plus one is required. So these are separate and distinct processes indeed. So let's talk about other arithmetic a little bit. I mean for for the first time since 1994 you have an ANC that lacks a majority in parliament as the leader of the official opposition. How how are you lobbying other parties for example within the GNU to ensure that as the numbers you are articulating uh actually do materialize.

[00:01:37]>> Lobbying is ongoing and obviously it would be unwise to diverge that publicly. I can confidently say we're busy the process of lobbying has already begun. We are busy lobbying other likeminded political parties uh in the which are represented in the national assembly. Furthermore, I think it's fair to say even within the ANC we would expect that's why we've called for a secret ballot. We would expect rightminded South African citizens, people who are lawabiding, people who know the truth to vote according to their conscience and not according to party political line. When voters vote according to party political line, they don't apply their minds.

[00:02:23]People vote like robots or vote like sheep. So we would like a situation whereby this a secret ballot everybody who votes in the national assembly would then vote according to their conscience.

[00:02:39]There is precedent for this. If you recall way back in 2017, there's a judgment of the conal court called United Democratic Movement versus the Speaker of the National Assembly where the conal court highlighted the fact that it is constitutionally possible and mandatory in certain instances for a secret ballot to be ordered by the speaker. So we hope that the speaker will allow voting to take place according to secret ballot so that members can vote in the national assembly according to their conscience because everybody knows that serial Ramaposa committed crime.

[00:03:22]>> So do do you think the speaker would feel obligated to grant you that particular request uh uh or are you also preparing to challenge her once again in court if she doesn't go that route?

[00:03:35]We expect the speaker is fair-minded. Of course, she's a member of the African National Congress just like Seriel Ramaposa is a member of the National Congress. But this is an appeal also to the speaker to realize that as much as she's a member of the National Congress, but there comes a time when you have to do things according to your conscience.

[00:03:59]In this instance for example, it is abundantly clear that voting according to party line is not going to help.

[00:04:06]While where we are now because the ANC in December 2022 voted and mar or block according to party line thec members who voted to protect Ramaposa did not vote according to their conscience. They were told how to vote. now voting openly sorry voting according to the secret ballot and shows that that does not happen indeed. So we're very optimistic that the speaker that senate is going to prevail and she will allow the vote to take place by way of a secret ballot.

[00:04:45]>> So let's talk a little bit about that rule 129 that allowed for that to to happen. The the court struck down parts of that national assembly rule uh used to block the 2022 inquiry. Do you believe that the speaker should should should immediately convene uh the rules committee to draft new and more transparent oversight mechanism or or do you believe that the current judgment is enough to to proceed?

[00:05:10]the the current judgment is enough to proceed but clearly the rule will have to be amended in line with the suggestions or directives given by the conal court so that at the end of the day you don't have a situation which has happened previously whereby the national assembly can hold or simply abort a parliamentary process that is already underway. Now the process of amending rules again is an entirely different process to the application that we're bringing. Yeah. In terms of our motion, it's an entirely different process indeed. So there there are some civil society groups uh particularly that I would have spoken to the Amad Katr Foundation who says why push for a motion of no confidence rather than waiting for evidence that will come out during the the inquiry process that the court has has has mandated the impeachment committee to to to to go through. Is this a strategic move to to to to bypass the evidentiary phase or are you not interested in the evidence at all?

[00:06:20]>> Well, the evidence relating to Ramaposa is overwhelming. Everybody knows that the various institutions moved in to protect him. I don't think there is any rightminded South African who still has confidence in Sri Raaposa. We know for example the the democratic alliance where their attitude before they joined the government so-called government of national unity their attitude was that they were not going to protect Ramaposa and they were going to support a motion to have him impeached when there were opportunities to join the cabinet and after Ramaposa invited them and formed the GNU to the exclusion of progressive forces such as MK UK party, EFF and other progressive parties including AAM.

[00:07:12]All of a sudden, the Democratic Alliance changed their stance and we're eager now to join the imam Ramaposa's government of national unity. So to answer your question directly, no doubt it is a strategy on our part, but we believe there is more than enough evidence for all for any rightminded South African to say no enough is enough. The country has had enough of Selaposa. I must hasten to add we drafted this notion h last year.

[00:07:46]I think it was October and for whatever reasons it was not proceeded with. If my memory serves me well, we filed it with the office of the speaker and the speaker uh this was just before I left parliament uh in November. So we are resuscitating >> a motion that has already been submitted to the speaker. We have obviously updated it now in light of the judgment of the con court. We saw the light on the 8th of May 2026. Yeah.

[00:08:22]>> So it is a strategy on our part. There's no question about Thank you.

[00:08:26]>> Now you've previously said Dr. I mean you believe the institution is is is really at the feet of the president. I'm talking about uh the the National Assembly itself with regards to the speaker. Uh if the speaker goes the route of the impeachment committee does does that mean you you would hold a different view or is the institution still captured?

[00:08:51]You mean parliament?

[00:08:53]>> Yes.

[00:08:56]>> I I I said is the ANC I think let me make that very clear. It is the ANC that abuse this majority in parliament to hold the impeachment procedure right following the reports of the section 89 inquiry which was uh chaired by the retired chief justice no I did not say it's parliament it is parliament obvious referring to the ANC members who were in the majority they halted that procedure which was clearly an abuse of their majority they were abusing their numbers. That's where we come from.

[00:09:35]>> All right. Now, you've mentioned you don't want to of course douge your strategy as far as the lobbying is concerned, but I will ask the question nonetheless. I mean, is does the lobbying extend to to the Democratic Alliance, for example?

[00:09:49]>> It would it extends to all parties. We are appealing to all parties in parliament including those members of the ANC certainly who want who are the lawabiding citizens who know very well that sir Ramaposa acted unlawfully who know very well that he violated the constitution who know very well that he violated his oath of office were appealing to all right-minded South Africans who are lawabiding citizens to say no put an and to Raaposa. Please be with us on this and let's get him out of the office.

[00:10:27]>> I'm asking you specifically about about the Democratic Alliance. Here's why. The Democratic Alliance have now uh taken a move to to bring a bill to Parliament that impeached judges and heads of chapter 9 institutions should not be allowed to serve in Parliament, provincial legislatores or local council. mentioning that in fact in in this era there is a judge who is an MP in parliament that in their view is not fit and property be they >> well they are entitled to their own views I know they will fail in that regard they can lobby they know they will fail right so we would lobby any party perhaps including even the DA to the extent necessary on this issue we would lo anybody in parliament who is willing willing to work but our primary focus is going to be progressive forces.

[00:11:22]I'm talking about ATM. I'm talking about EFF and there are other parties UAE C and there are quite a few other parties that we can work with including but not limited to members of the ANC who are opposed to Ramaposa. We know the ANC is deeply divided on this issue.

[00:11:42]That's a fact. right now. Maybe on a more personal note as as as we wrap up, I mean the the the the the question could be well Dr. Hopper yourself you were impeached by the very same national assembly and now you are here directing uh the same body to remove the president. How do you respond to critics who say well this is not about constitution but about your own personal political vendetta?

[00:12:07]>> No there is no personal vendetta at all.

[00:12:11]When the palapa pala caka started I was not in parliament now the only difference is that I'm in parliament wearing a totally different role.

[00:12:21]Ramaposa was going to be impeached in any event with or without my being present in parliament. So I'm not there is no personal vetta at all. It's a question of principle. He has violated his oath of office. He must go sooner rather than later.

[00:12:40]>> That's the first deputy president and parliamentary leader for Konto is sees a party there, Dr. John Floppy. I appreciate your time and thank you very much for coming on this