The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape lost a bid on Tuesday for a debate on the impeachment of premier Helen Zille to take precedence.

The party called for the debate to be moved to the top of proceedings in the Western Cape legislature, but it was thwarted when the Democratic Alliance (DA) voted against it.

The draft resolution to have Zille kicked out is now the last on the order paper for the legislature on Tuesday.

This did not sit well with the ANC, which accused speaker Sharna Fernandez of being unfair.

Fernandez reminded the ANC that for the motion to be moved to the top of the list, it has to be agreed to unanimously.

ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman complained that the DA got preference when they put a debate forward.

“Where is the justice in that?” he said.

Premier Helen Zille took to Twitter to lament the ANC’s motion to move the debate moved forward.

“The ANC is abusing the Legislature again. They did not ask for a change of programme in the programming committee and are demanding it now,” she first tweeted.

She also poked fun at the ANC.

“The ANC in the legislature today sounds as if they imbibed a bit too much Im-peach-ment Mampoer,” she said on Twitter.

The ANC brought the motion to the legislature in terms of Section 130 (3) of the National Constitution and would have to prove the premier was guilty of serious misconduct; had violated the Constitution or the law; or was unable to perform the functions of her office.

News24.com