Ramaphosa seeks review of panel report, impeachment ahead

President Cyril Ramaphosa has filed an application in the Western Cape High Court seeking to review and set aside an independent panel report that found he may have a case to answer regarding the 2020 theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala farm. The legal challenge, lodged this week, aims to invalidate the report and halt the parliamentary impeachment process it triggered.

Ramaphosa argues in his court papers that the panel, chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, fundamentally misunderstood its mandate. He contends the panel incorrectly concluded there was prima facie evidence he may have committed serious misconduct, rather than determining whether sufficient evidence existed to show he actually committed a violation. The president maintains the panel relied on hearsay and questionable evidence, including a confidential Namibian police report and an audio recording he suggests may have been obtained unlawfully. He also claims the allegations, initially brought by former spy boss Arthur Fraser, were based on speculation.

The panel's 2022 report concluded there was prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa may have committed a serious violation of the Constitution and...