Cape Town – ActionSA says it will approach the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria to challenge the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) disciplinary findings that cleared Major General Wally Rhoode and Brigadier Hennie Rekhoto over their conduct in the investigation into the Phala Phala burglary.
In a joint statement, ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont and parliamentary Chief Whip Lerato Ngobeni said the party had instructed its legal team to institute review proceedings, arguing that the disciplinary process was irrational, failed to properly assess the available evidence and contradicted findings made by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the Public Protector.
“ActionSA has instructed its legal team to institute proceedings in the High Court, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, to review and set aside the South African Police Service’s disciplinary findings relating to Major General Wally Rhoode and Brigadier Hennie Rekhoto,” the party said.
According to ActionSA, its legal challenge follows an analysis of the disciplinary Record of Decision obtained through the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). The party described the disciplinary process as a “poorly constructed whitewash”, saying it raised serious questions about its rationality and treatment of evidence.
ActionSA said it had previously secured and published the IPID investigation report, which it claims revealed serious findings against members of the President’s Protection Service. It later established, through parliamentary questions to the Acting Minister of Police, that SAPS had internally cleared the officers involved.
📄 The documents they hoped would stay hidden are now public!
We have released internal SAPS records exposing what we believe is a cover-up in the Phala Phala matter, including efforts to protect members of the PPU.
🔗 Access the documents here: https://t.co/hA3S1RIHqW pic.twitter.com/6Xjvufjjhz
— ActionSA (@Action4SA) July 17, 2026
The party said its comparison of the IPID report, the Public Protector’s report and the SAPS disciplinary findings uncovered several material contradictions that warranted judicial scrutiny.
Among the issues highlighted by ActionSA are conflicting findings on whether General Rhoode fulfilled his legal duty to report the burglary and ensure a criminal case was registered, whether he directed an unofficial investigation into the incident, and whether his trip to Namibia was properly explained.
The party also questioned the disciplinary findings relating to Brigadier Rekhoto, arguing that IPID had concluded he had a responsibility to ensure the matter was properly registered and investigated through normal policing channels.
ActionSA further claimed the disciplinary process failed to address many of IPID’s findings, including alleged breaches of SAPS disciplinary regulations, and excluded key evidence, including an earlier statement by Brigadier Rekhoto that was ruled inadmissible after claims it had been obtained under duress.
It also criticised the disciplinary process itself, saying the Record of Decision contained little evidence of a comprehensive hearing, meaningful analysis of competing evidence or proper testing of witness testimony.
“These are not minor procedural differences. They represent materially different conclusions reached by different state institutions examining substantially the same conduct,” the party said.
In addition to its court application, ActionSA said it would request that the full disciplinary record be submitted to Parliament’s Section 89 Committee as part of its inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s conduct in relation to the Phala Phala matter.
The party will also ask that IPID and the chairperson of the SAPS disciplinary proceedings appear before the committee to explain why the disciplinary findings differed from those of IPID. It further intends to submit parliamentary questions to the Acting Minister of Police regarding the disciplinary process, the evidence considered and whether the National Commissioner accepts the apparent inconsistencies between SAPS’ findings and those of IPID.
ActionSA said it would continue pursuing accountability through both the courts and Parliament, arguing that South Africans deserve full transparency over the handling of the Phala Phala investigation.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
