President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken urgent legal steps to stop Parliament’s impeachment inquiry into the Phala Phala scandal.
On Friday, 12 June 2026, Ramaphosa filed a notice of motion in the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town, seeking an order to prevent the parliamentary impeachment committee from proceeding with its work.
Review application challenges Phala Phala report
The urgent interdict application comes alongside a broader legal challenge launched by the president, in which he is asking the same court to review and set aside the findings of the Section 89 independent panel, which was chaired by former chief justice, Sandile Ngcobo.
The panel, in its report, previously found there was prima facie evidence suggesting Ramaphosa has questions to answer over the theft of approximately $580 000 (about R9.6 million) from his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in February 2020.
The legal developments follow a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling in May, which found that Parliament had acted unlawfully when it blocked impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa in December 2022.
As a result, the National Assembly was compelled to establish a formal impeachment committee to investigate the allegations further.
The committee – made up of 31 MPs from 16 political parties – is chaired by Rise Mzansi’s chief organiser, Makashule Gana.
Ramaphosa fights to delay impeachment committee
While the review application is scheduled for hearing between 2 and 4 September, Ramaphosa is now pushing to halt any interim activity by the committee.
The president, who insisted that he won’t resign, contended that no proceedings should commence until the application has been concluded.
“Even if only part of the impeachment enquiry is undertaken before the review application is determined, substantial harm will already have been done,” the motion reads.
“In those circumstances, the review court will be confronted with a situation in which consequences flowing from the report have already occurred before the validity of the report has been determined.
“The effectiveness of the review proceedings will have been materially undermined. I will not be able to obtain substantial redress in due course,” the document added.
Phala Phala cash
ActionSA filed criminal charges against Ramaphosa at the Bela-Bela Police Station last month, accusing him of misrepresenting details related to the Phala Phala cash theft.
The complaint centres on claims that the amount of money stolen from the president’s farm was significantly higher than initially disclosed.
According to reports, the total sum taken may have reached at least R15 million.
ActionSA’s charges include alleged violations of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (Precca), as well as accusations of perjury and fraud.
Parallel political efforts to hold the president accountable have faced setbacks.
A motion of no confidence brought forward by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) was rejected by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, preventing it from proceeding in Parliament.
As uncertainty continues to surround the events at Phala Phala, criminal proceedings are underway against individuals allegedly connected to the theft.
Namibian national Imanuela David, along with fellow compatriots Froliana Joseph – a former cleaner employed at the farm – and her brother Ndilinasho David Joseph, are currently on trial at the Modimolle Regional Court.
The three face are facing charges of housebreaking, theft and conspiracy to commit burglary.
