President Cyril Ramaphosa has succeeded in obtaining an urgent interdict from the Western Cape High Court on 24 July 2026, effectively suspending the National Assembly’s impeachment process against him pending the review of the Section 89 panel report related to the Phala Phala matter.

Summary Of Legal Proceedings

On 12 June 2026, President Ramaphosa filed an urgent application in the Western Cape High Court, seeking to prevent the parliamentary impeachment committee from proceeding with its inquiry. The court heard the matter on 15 and 16 July 2026. On 18 June, the impeachment committee resolved to oppose the application and formally requested that the Speaker of the National Assembly join them in contesting the interdict, according to an official statement by the committee.

Despite opposition, including from Makashule Gana, Chairperson of the Impeachment Committee, who said, “The committee and myself, as the second respondent, we have opposed this application because we believe the work of the committee needs to continue,” the High Court ultimately ruled in favour of Ramaphosa. The interdict means the committee cannot proceed until the finalisation of judicial review proceedings related to the Section 89 report.

Implications For The Impeachment Process

The High Court’s ruling temporarily halts the parliamentary inquiry, marking a significant pause in efforts to impeach President Ramaphosa over allegations arising from the Phala Phala farm theft case. The underlying Section 89 panel report had found Ramaphosa had a case to answer regarding foreign currency stolen from his farm, which triggered the impeachment process.

With the process now suspended, Parliament must await the conclusion of the pending review in court. The impeachment committee, in a published statement, reiterated its commitment to resuming its work, stating, “The committee has also resolved to request the Speaker of the National Assembly to join the committee in opposing the interdict by the President.” Until the court review is completed, no further parliamentary action can proceed under the current process.

The National Assembly is expected to assess next steps for the impeachment inquiry once the judicial review of the Section 89 report concludes.