Professor Richard Calland should recuse himself from the committee looking into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s actions relating to the robbery at his Phala Phala farm, say his political pundit peers.
The inclusion of Calland in the Section 89 inquiry has been met with fierce criticism on social media and other public platforms.
Analysts and political parties — while they maintained their respect for Calland — have urged him to recuse himself to avoid any negative perceptions that may arise should the inquiry have a favourable outcome for Ramaphosa.
Calland, an associate professor of public law at the University of Cape Town and a regular columnist with an active social media account, has previously used his platforms to comment on Ramaphosa's presidency. Some of the comments have been favourable, while others have slammed the president.
Since the announcement by National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Tuesday, those against Calland's inclusion based their issue on old tweets, which showed him cheering on Ramaphosa, with one post seemingly endorsing him for a second term.
Political analyst Susan Booysen said while Calland was a “great political mind and an astute analyst” he should not have accepted the invitation to form part of the panel.
“There's the question of someone in the political domain who's expressed opinions on varying issues... there's the question of whether it is appropriate to have him on the panel.
“I don't think it's appropriate. If I were put in that position, I wouldn't have taken it.
"[People] can't discount the background of previous opinions, can't neutralise the ground to ensure there's no preconceived bias. He'll have to prove he's completely neutral and open to all facts before him,” Booysen said.
Nelson Mandela University political studies lecturer Ongama Mtimka said forging ahead with any name that caused discomfort among the public would undermine the work of the committee no matter how rigorous the process may be.
“Two things will happen, the burden created to prove that one can be objective may cloud any judgements that favour the president or if the facts happen to support an outcome that favours the president, the negative perceptions about the potential bias of members will negatively affect the extent to which the committee’s work is accepted,” Mtimka said.
Other members of the panel include former chief justice in the Constitutional Court Sandile Ngcobo, who will chair the panel, and former Gauteng judge Thokozile Masipa, known for the high-profile Oscar Pistorius trial.
The panel is to assess if there are grounds to impeach Ramaphosa over the robbery at his Limpopo game farm.
It follows a motion submitted by African Transformation Movement leader Vuyo Zungula requesting the house to initiate an inquiry into Ramaphosa’s removal from office as provided for by Section 89 of the Constitution.
The speaker made the selection from 17 nominees recommended by political parties represented in the National Assembly.
The new rules that give effect to the Section 89 removal of the president were adopted in November 2018 after the Constitutional Court ruled in 2017 that the National Assembly must put in place procedures to give effect to that section of the constitution.
The DA and EFF released statements rejecting Calland's appointment.
DA parliamentary chief whip Siviwe Gwarube said the party would raise their objection with Mapisa-Nqakula in a meeting with other political parties on Tuesday next week, while EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Tambo said the party would consult other political parties represented in parliament to “reverse the appointment of a panel of Ramaphosa’s cheerleaders.”
— Additional reporting TimesLIVE
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