Ramaphosa Impeachment Hearing Battle Intensifies As DA Warns Against Parliament Delays

President Cyril is facing mounting pressure from the Democratic Alliance (DA), which insists Parliament must continue preparations for a possible impeachment inquiry linked to the Phala Phala controversy.

The DA argued that Ramaphosa’s latest legal move should not interrupt Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to establish the impeachment process. The President launched court action on Tuesday in a bid to challenge a parliamentary report tied to the 2020 theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.

DA parliamentary leader George Michalakis said any attempt to halt the process would undermine Parliament’s duty to comply with a Constitutional Court ruling.

DA Says Parliament Must Continue Ramaphosa Impeachment Preparations

Political parties have until the end of Wednesday to submit recommendations to a parliamentary rules sub-committee on how the impeachment panel should function. The committee is expected to establish procedures and terms of reference before hearings can begin.

Michalakis stressed that Parliament should continue its work without interference. “The DA will hold its accountability role seriously and will ensure that Parliament does so without delay, at every opportunity.”

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He added that the legislative body must be allowed to fulfil its oversight responsibilities. “Parliament must be allowed to conduct its oversight and accountability role, unobstructed, and we must urgently set the rules and terms of reference for the impeachment committee.”

Ramaphosa Challenges Phala Phala Report In Court

Ramaphosa approached the Western Cape High Court seeking a review of the Section 89 panel report. The report concluded that there may be grounds to believe he violated the law in relation to the Phala Phala matter.

In court papers, the President argued that allowing Parliament to proceed while the case remains before the courts would be unfair. He said it would be “intolerable and a travesty” for the process to continue before the legal dispute is resolved.

The President also maintains that the Section 89 report contains major flaws. According to his application, the findings are defective in four significant areas.

DA Warns Legal Action Could Damage Parliament’s Reputation

The DA believes Ramaphosa’s legal challenge should not delay parliamentary proceedings. Michalakis said there is still substantial administrative work required before any impeachment hearing formally starts.

He warned that efforts to interdict Parliament could have broader consequences for public confidence in democratic institutions. “The result would be damaging to the reputation of Parliament.”

The impeachment process stems from the Constitutional Court’s instruction that Parliament establish mechanisms to deal with potential misconduct by a sitting president without unnecessary delays.