Ramaphosa's Legal Bid to Block Impeachment Process Challenged

President Cyril Ramaphosa filed a legal application to interdict Parliament's impeachment process while a review of an independent panel report is pending.

The move represents a critical attempt by the president to pause a legislative process that could remove him from office. The impeachment proceedings stem from a Section 89 independent panel report which found that Ramaphosa violated his oath of office regarding the Phala Phala theft.

The African Transformation Movement, represented by MP Vuyolwethu Zungula, filed papers in the Western Cape High Court to oppose the president's application. This legal challenge seeks to ensure that the National Assembly in Pretoria can proceed with its constitutional duties without judicial delay.

Legal analysts and commentators, including senior lecturer Dr. Shadi Maganoe, said the president's bid may not successfully stop the impeachment process. This perspective follows a ruling by South Africa's highest court on May 8, 2024 ^[1], which effectively revived the impeachment proceedings.

The conflict centers on whether the judicial review of the panel's findings should supersede the legislative timeline. Ramaphosa said the process should be paused until the review is complete, a move his opponents describe as a delay tactic.

The Western Cape High Court in Cape Town now holds the authority to determine if the interdict is granted. If the court denies the application, Parliament will have a clear legal path to continue the impeachment process based on the findings of the Section 89 panel.