In an attempt to have the Section 89 independent panel report on Phala Phala declared illegal, President Cyril Ramaphosa has filed a lawsuit in the Western Cape High Court.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has brought an application in the Western Cape High Court to have the Section 89 independent panel report on the Phala Phala scandal declared unlawful and set aside. He claims the panel relied on hearsay in its findings and acted outside its mandate.
This legal challenge was launched following a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling that invalidated Parliament's December 2022 decision to block the report, which found Ramaphosa may have committed serious violations of the Constitution and the law, as well as serious misconduct regarding the Phala Phala scandal.
This ruling forced National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to establish a 31-member impeachment committee to process the report.
In his court papers, Ramaphosa argues that the process and conclusions of the panel, chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, are irrational and contrary.
