Ramaphosa Mounts Legal Challenge to Stop Impeachment Inquiry

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned the National Assembly against proceeding with the impeachment process into his conduct in the Phala Phala saga, saying he would be "compelled" to seek an interdict from the Western Cape High Court should it go ahead.

In 2022, an independent panel said Ramaphosa might have committed serious misconduct relating to the theft of large sums of cash hidden in a sofa at his private farm. The president denied any wrongdoing. Ramaphosa argued that the independent panel investigating the 2020 theft of about $580,000 hidden at his farm misunderstood its mandate.

The challenge follows a recent Constitutional Court ruling that Parliament acted unconstitutionally when it previously voted against establishing an impeachment inquiry. Parliament has since formed a multi-party committee to determine whether impeachment proceedings should proceed.