CAPE TOWN – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa filed an urgent application Friday asking the Western Cape High Court to stay the impeachment process over the Phala Phala issue pending the outcome of his separate review application.
It is a move that would delay the start of a parliamentary impeachment investigation into his involvement following retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo’s findings of sufficient evidence, and in the process allowing the National Assembly to establish an impeachment inquiry on the strength of Section 89 of the Constitution.
There’s allegations of money laundering, corruption and a cover-up against the president after a stash of foreign currency was stolen from his private Phala Phala game farm in 2020. The Constitutional Court has already issued an order allowing Parliament to form an impeachment committee and conduct a probe, unless a court rules differently. 
The president stated that the High Court must first conclude the application to set aside the panel’s misconduct findings over the issue. A vote in parliament in 2022 stopped the impeachment proceedings. However, with the constitutional court’s ruling on invalidity, the process is being relaunched.
Ramaphosa asked the High Court to stop the National Assembly and the impeachment committee from commencing with the process until his review challenge has been determined. The high court is due to hear his case against the misconduct findings from September 2 to 4.
The urgent application could potentially delay the parliamentary process.
The president has cited the speaker of the National Assembly and the chairperson of the impeachment committee, as well as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), African Transformation Movement (ATM) and Vuyo Zungula, as respondents.
