CAPE TOWN, Tuesday 25 August 2026 — The Economic Freedom Fighters has raised concerns that holding Wednesday’s National Assembly sitting virtually could disadvantage its motion of no confidence in Speaker Thoko Didiza, arguing that a physical sitting would provide a more appropriate setting for a vote on the presiding officer of the House.
The motion is scheduled to be debated on Wednesday, 26 August, and centres on Didiza’s handling of litigation linked to the Section 89 impeachment process involving President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The EFF’s principal complaint relates to Didiza’s decision in June not to oppose Ramaphosa’s urgent court application seeking to halt the work of Parliament’s impeachment committee while his review of the Section 89 panel report is pending.
Didiza instead filed a notice to abide by the court’s decision together with an explanatory affidavit, while the impeachment committee itself opposed the President’s application. Parliament has said the two legal positions reflected the separate constitutional roles of the Speaker and the committee rather than conflicting approaches.
The EFF argues that the virtual format may affect the political dynamics of the debate and vote.
National Assembly rules allow members participating in virtual or hybrid sittings to vote electronically, by voice or through party whips, depending on the procedure determined for the sitting.
The motion is politically significant because it tests support for Didiza across a fragmented National Assembly while Parliament is simultaneously managing the contested impeachment process against Ramaphosa.
Didiza has rejected suggestions that her handling of the President’s litigation undermined the impeachment committee.
In a June statement, Parliament said she had implemented the Constitutional Court’s directions relating to the Section 89 process and had provided the impeachment committee with the institutional support required for its work.
The committee’s proceedings have since faced separate disputes over its proposed evidence leader, draft terms of reference and the legal challenge brought by Ramaphosa.
The outcome of Wednesday’s no-confidence motion will depend on how parties vote and whether opposition parties can assemble sufficient support against the Speaker.
