Cape Town – The Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, has determined the process that Parliament will follow in response to the Constitutional Court judgment ordering it to begin an impeachment inquiry into alleged wrongdoing by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
On Friday, 8 May 2026, the Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament’s vote to shut down the Phala Phala matter was unconstitutional and ordered the Section 89 Independent Panel report be referred to an Impeachment Committee for proper processing and further inquiry.
The panel, chaired by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, assessed complaints about the February 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm, which involved theft of foreign currency, reportedly hidden in furniture.
The panel found prima facie evidence that the President may have committed:
- A serious violation of the Constitution (e.g., section 96(2)(a) on conflicts of interest).
- A serious violation of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
- Serious misconduct inconsistent with his office (e.g., section 96(2)(b)), including how the incident and response were handled.
However, President Ramaphosa took the matter under review and only dropped his court action after Parliament voted to end the matter.
The move by Parliament to vote on the matter has been overturned by the Constitutional Court, which effectively revived the adverse Section 89 report.
The court found Rule 129I of the Rules of the National Assembly unconstitutional and invalid and set the rule aside.
Pending the formal amendment of the Rules by the National Assembly Rules Committee, the court further directed an interim reading-in and amendment of Rule 129I to govern the processing of section 89 matters.
Today, Monday 11 May 2026, the Speaker detailed the process Parliament was going to follow in order to comply with the court’s orders as follows:
- In accordance with the revised reading of Rule 129I, the Speaker will formally inform the National Assembly of the Independent Panel Report by tabling it through the appropriate journals of Parliament.
- The Speaker will provide the President of the Republic with a copy of the Independent Panel Report forthwith, as directed by the Constitutional Court.
- In compliance with the judgment of the Court, the Speaker will initiate the process to constitute the Impeachment Committee in terms of Rules 129J to 129O of the Rules of the National Assembly to consider the section 89 inquiry process contemplated in the Constitution and the Rules of the Assembly.
- The Speaker will formally refer the Independent Panel Report to the Impeachment Committee as directed by the Constitutional Court.
- The Speaker will refer the Constitutional Court judgment to the National Assembly Subcommittee on the Review of Rules to consider and process the amendments required to the Rules of the National Assembly pursuant to the findings, reading-in, and directions of the Court. The Subcommittee will report on its work to the Rules Committee, which will in turn submit its recommendations to the National Assembly for consideration.
- The Speaker will determine the appropriate programme, procedural arrangements, timeframes and institutional support measures necessary to enable the Impeachment Committee to undertake and finalise its work effectively, fairly and within the framework of the Constitution and the Rules of the National Assembly.
President Ramaphosa has since reiterated his stance that he respects the Constitutional Court’s judgment and reaffirms his commitment to the Constitution, the independence of the judiciary, and the rule of law.
