President Cyril Ramaphosa Launches Urgent Court Bid to Halt Impeachment Inquiry Proceedings

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has approached the Western Cape High Court, seeking an urgent court interdict
• The president previously filed papers at the court, seeking to challenge the independent panel's report in Phala Phala
• Parliament has set up a 31-member committee, which is tasked with investigating potential misconduct by the president

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

WESTERN CAPE – President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched an urgent legal bid to prevent Parliament from proceeding with the impeachment process against him.

Parliament has set up a 31-member committee, which is tasked with investigating potential misconduct by President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the Phala Phala farm scandal and appointed a chairperson in RISE Mzansi’s Makashule Gana.

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With Parliament getting the ball rolling on the matter, the president has now approached the Western Cape High Court, looking to halt the proceedings.

Ramaphosa launches urgent court bid

On 12 June 2026, Ramaphosa’s legal team filed papers in the Western Cape High Court seeking an urgent interdict against National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza and Gana.

Ramaphosa asked the court to order that the Speaker and the committee chairperson be barred from commencing an impeachment inquiry in terms of Rule 129M of the National Assembly's rules while a review application brought by the president remains before the courts.

Ramaphosa also asked that the matter be heard on an urgent basis and is seeking a costs order against any party that opposes the application.

Ramaphosa lodges application to review report

The president wants proceedings halted while he asks the courts to review and set aside an independent panel report into Phala Phala.

The Section 89 Independent Panel Report found prima facie evidence that the president may have violated his oath of office regarding the cover-up of the theft of foreign currency from his farm in 2020.

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The National Assembly initially rejected the report in 2022, as the African National Congress used its majority to vote against it, but the Constitutional Court has since ruled that this decision was unlawful and unconstitutional.

Other stories about the ConCourt ruling

Briefly News has covered several articles about the aftermath of the ruling, as several politicians weighed in on the judgment.

• Julius Malema welcomed the ConCourt’s ruling and suggested that Ramaphosa resign before he was impeached.
• Mahlengi Bhengu said that the African National Congress was committed to the rule of law following the ruling.
• The Democratic Alliance said that the president must be held accountable after the ConCourt’s decision.
• Gayton McKenzie insisted that the Patriotic Alliance would not vote to impeach President Ramaphosa.
• Herman Mashaba called the Phala Phala saga a serious embarrassment to the nation.

ANC backs Cyril Ramaphosa over Phala Phala decision

In another article, the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) met to discuss the Constitutional Court's recent ruling on Phala Phala.

Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa was not present at the meeting, as he was the subject of the discussions that were taking place.

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South Africans took to social media to share mixed reactions to the NEC's resolution that the party stood behind the president's decision.

Source: Briefly News