Ramaphosa pledges cooperation as court revives Phala Phala process

President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged his full cooperation with constitutional processes after the Constitutional Court ruled that parliament must refer the section 89 independent panel’s Phala Phala report to animpeachment committee— reviving accountability proceedings that had been effectively shelved. The Presidency said Ramaphosa “respects the Constitutional Court’s judgment” and “reaffirms his commitment to the constitution, the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law”. The president maintained he has consistently provided full assistance to enquiries into the matter, and called on all South Africans to respect the ruling.

The court’s judgment declared parliamentary rule 129(i)(b) inconsistent with the constitution, and set aside the National Assembly vote of December 13 2022 that had blocked the process from advancing. The ruling does not constitute a finding of guilt against the president but confirms that the independent panel’sprima faciefindings of potential serious misconduct cannot be procedurally buried. Opposition parties moved quickly to frame the judgment as a defining moment for South African democracy.

The DA said it will participate “fully and constructively” in the impeachment committee, warning it would not allow “any person, no matter how high their office, to be placed above accountability”. The party drew a sharp contrast with the ANC, accusing it of presiding over “a political culture in which accountability is delayed, diluted or avoided”. The African Transformation Movement echoed the call for the committee to be convened without delay and for proceedings to be conducted openly, noting that South Africans “deserve a state that acts with honesty and transparency”.

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Meanwhile, parliament said it will carefully study and consider the court’s judgment and its implications for the procedures of the National Assembly. Parliament must now correct its rules and constitute the impeachment committee, a process opposition parties say will define whether or not parliament remains a genuine guardian of constitutional democracy.

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