Cape Town – The Constitutional Court has dismissed an urgent attempt by several political parties to revive President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala impeachment inquiry.
The court declined direct access and dismissed applications for leave to appeal, saying it was not in the interests of justice to hear the matter while Ramaphosa’s review application is pending in the Western Cape High Court.
“It [the court] has concluded that no case has been made out for leave to file a replying affidavit.
“The court has also concluded that it is not in the interests of justice to hear the matter at this stage, given the imminent determination of the review in the Western Cape Division of the High Court, the outcome of which will render the interim interdict moot,” the ConCourt’s order read.
The review, scheduled for 2 to 4 September, challenges the findings of a Section 89 independent panel, which concluded that Ramaphosa had questions to answer over the theft of about $580,000 (R9.6 million) from his Phala Phala farm in 2020.
The ATM, EFF, United Africans Transformation and MK Party had approached the Constitutional Court after the Western Cape High Court granted Ramaphosa an interdict that halted Parliament’s impeachment hearings.
The dispute follows a May Constitutional Court ruling that found Parliament had acted unlawfully by blocking impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa in 2022. Parliament was subsequently ordered to establish a 31-member impeachment committee to investigate the allegations.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
