President Cyril Ramaphosa has filed a request to chief justice Mandisa Maya to initiate a review application against an independent panel report.The request was a procedural step the president took before instituting civil proceedings against the panel’s report because it was headed by a judge. Former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo headed the panel that authored the report, which found that there was a prima facie case for the president to answer.Section 47 of the Superior Courts Act requires litigants in civil proceedings to seek permission from a head of court before instituting litigation against a judge. The provision stands as a shield protecting judges from frivolous litigation. The panel report, which the president is taking on review, in 2022 found the president may have committed a serious violation of the law which requires any person who holds a position of authority to report the theft of R100,000 or more to the police. The matter was pinned on a 2020 cash theft of about $580,000 that had been concealed in a couch at the Phala Phala game farm. The panel found the president may have a case to answer because he reported the theft of foreign currency to Gen Wally Rhoode, a member of the Presidential Protection Unit, but did not report it directly to the police. The panel report was initially not adopted by parliament, but the matter has become live again after the Constitutional Court this month made an order for referral of the independent panel report to the impeachment committee.