Cape Town – Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says the party is facing mounting pressure from political and business actors to help shield President Cyril Ramaphosa as impeachment-related processes linked to the Phala Phala matter gain renewed momentum.
According to Times Live, Hill-Lewis said he has received calls urging the DA to intervene in a way that would protect Ramaphosa in order to preserve stability within the Government of National Unity (GNU).
However, he stressed that the party will not bow to such pressure.
WATCH | Democratic Alliance leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says should President Cyril Ramaphosa be found guilty of wrongdoing in the Phala Phala matter, the DA would support his removal from office. pic.twitter.com/nkNyKa1ziO
— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 12, 2026
“The phone is ringing,” the report quoted him as saying, adding that while there is concern about political stability, the DA would not compromise on accountability or constitutional principles.
He said the party would not support any attempt to protect the president if wrongdoing is established, even if such a stance risks tensions within the governing coalition.
At the same time, Hill-Lewis emphasised that the DA is not seeking to remove Ramaphosa for political gain, but insists that due process must be allowed to run its course.
Democratic Alliance leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis says Ramaphosa is within his rights to take the Section 89 panel report on judicial review. He adds that the DA believes the parliamentary impeachment process should be allowed to run its full course. Tune in to #eNCA, channel… pic.twitter.com/MNF0SXOqR3
— eNCA (@eNCA) May 12, 2026
As reported by EWN, he said the DA would not respond to political pressure in a way that protects the president for the sake of maintaining the coalition, warning that doing so would amount to “sweeping wrongdoing under the carpet just because it’s politically convenient”.
He said Ramaphosa has “a lot of explaining to do” regarding the alleged storage of US dollars at his Limpopo farm in 2020, while cautioning that Parliament’s impeachment inquiry process should not be pre-judged.
The remarks follow a Constitutional Court ruling ordering Parliament to immediately establish an impeachment committee, after finding that a National Assembly rule allowing lawmakers discretion on whether to act on adverse findings of an independent panel is unconstitutional.
DA Federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says they’ll not protect wrongdoing regarding President Cyril Ramaphosa’s #phalaphala matter at the impeachment committee. He says the ANC has been trying to reach
out to him after the Concourt ruling. @ZiyandaNgcobo has more.Watch:… pic.twitter.com/z7y5D3hyMd
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 9, 2026
Hill-Lewis said the DA’s position is not aimed at destabilising the GNU but is grounded in accountability, insisting that political convenience cannot override constitutional duty.
“It is very unusual, despite what the Reserve Bank has said, for any person to have an enormous amount of foreign currency under a couch cushion,” he said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
