Ramaphosa files urgent interdict to stop Parliament impeachment process

President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched an urgent court bid to halt Parliament’s impeachment process linked to the Phala Phala scandal.

Ramaphosa argued that the process should not continue while he challenges the underlying report in court.

Ramaphosa filed papers in the Western Cape High Court on Friday seeking to review and set aside the Section 89 independent panel report, which found there was prima facie evidence that he may have violated the Constitution and committed serious misconduct in connection with the 2020 burglary at his Phala Phala farm.

This move comes after the Constitutional Court ruled in May that Parliament acted unlawfully when it blocked impeachment proceedings against the president in 2022.

The ruling compelled the National Assembly to establish an impeachment committee to investigate the matter further.

In earlier court papers where the president challenged the Phala Phala report, Ramaphosa reportedly argues that the panel “misconceived its mandate” and improperly interpreted the allegations against him.

According to the filings, the president warned that allowing Parliament’s impeachment process to proceed while the review application is still pending would result in “irreparable harm” and create a constitutional conflict.

The impeachment committee was announced by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza and consists of 31 MPs. It is expected to determine whether sufficient grounds exist to recommend Ramaphosa’s removal from office.

The Phala Phala scandal erupted after former spy boss Arthur Fraser accused Ramaphosa of concealing the theft of millions of US dollars allegedly hidden at his Limpopo farm. Ramaphosa has consistently denied wrongdoing.

The latest court application could delay Parliament’s impeachment inquiry while the judiciary determines whether the Section 89 panel report itself was lawful.