Ramaphosa awaits ruling on bid to halt impeachment inquiry

President Cyril Ramaphosa will learn next week whether his application for an urgent interdict against the parliamentary impeachment process has succeeded.

This follows the Western Cape High Court reserving judgment on 16 July on whether to grant a stay of the Section 89 impeachment proceedings.

Legal counsel for the President said the interdict is based on concerns over a report that was initially made public in November 2022.

In that report, a panel chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer over the alleged theft of at least $580,000 from his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.

The President has denied wrongdoing, saying the money came from a buffalo sale. Ramaphosa's advocate, Wim Trengove, told the court that the President's reputation would be harmed, and that he would be publicly humiliated, if he were to face an inquiry on spurious charges.

However, various political parties opposing Ramaphosa's interdict described the President's application as a delaying tactic.

The Economic Freedom Fighters, the MK Party and the African Transformation Movement said that, rather than trying to avoid unnecessary reputational harm, Ramaphosa is attempting to delay accountability.

EWN reported that Trengove challenged the opposition parties' assertion that the President was seeking to delay accountability, pointing out that he is also bringing a review of the independent panel's report that led to the Section 89 inquiry, which is due to be heard by the same court in September.

Trengove argued that this review is a necessary process in its own right, and should not be seen as a delaying tactic simply because it does not align with Parliament's own scheduling of the impeachment inquiry.

CAPTION: President Cyril Ramaphosa.

PHOTO CREDIT: GCIS