The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape wants Premier Helen Zille out and hopes a motion to impeach her, to be debated in the provincial legislature on Tuesday, will pave the way.

ANC Western Cape chairperson Marius Fransman gave notice on Monday of the intention to impeach Zille.

“The ANC believes there are legal grounds to have Zille democratically removed as premier. The ANC will debate this matter on Tuesday and move for the legislature to kick her out.

“It is clear she is not fit for purpose to proceed as premier; she transgressed laws and her misconduct in the whole spy saga is so serious, Zille must fall,” Fransman said in a statement.

However, Zille said she was not worried.

In her government newsletter published on Monday, Zille said this would turn out to be nothing but “ANC grandstanding”.

The ANC brought the notion 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; violation of the constitution or the law or unable to perform the functions of her office.

Zille said it was a “frivolous and vexatious motion”which undermined the serious purpose for which this constitutional clause was intended.

“I can only assume this motion was meant to be the culmination of the ‘scandal’ the ANC is trying to manufacture against me, based on claims I employed a police intelligence officer to spy on our political opponents and/or [Democratic Alliance] colleagues.

“The fact the ANC makes wild allegations does not make them true… any sensible analyst should reach the opposite conclusion,” she said.

Zille said previous attempts to manufacture spy scandals against her had been exposed as plots and the ANC was playing games to cover up its own crisis. News24