Phala Phala: Judgment reserved in Ramaphosa’s bid to overturn impeachment report
Judgment has been reserved in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s bid to overturn the Section 89 panel report on the Phala Phala scandal.
The Western Cape High Court has reserved judgment on President Cyril Ramaphosa's attempt to overturn the Section 89 panel report on the Phala Phala scandal. The panel concluded in November 2022 that Ramaphosa faced four impeachment charges stemming from the theft of around US$580,000 from his game farm in Limpopo in February 2020.
If the report stands, the National Assembly can proceed with the impeachment inquiry, potentially leading to Ramaphosa's removal from office. Ramaphosa's legal team argues that the review application is a prelude to delaying the impeachment process indefinitely. Advocate Dali Mpofu claims the Constitutional Court anticipated this outcome by directing the report to Parliament's impeachment committee in May.
Mpofu asserts that allowing Ramaphosa's review would result in a 17-step challenge process, dragging on for years without resolving the key questions. Major-General Wally Rhoode, who headed the Presidential Protection Unit during the theft, testified that Ramaphosa reported the burglary to Rhoode instead of the police. The panel found insufficiency of evidence in two of the four charges against Ramaphosa.
Mpofu argues that the Western Cape High Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case, as it should be decided by the Constitutional Court, while Trengove contends that the court is merely enforcing the National Assembly's rules.
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