Pressure mounts on Didiza as Ramaphosa seeks to stop Phala Phala impeachment inquiry
· Citizen
National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza is reportedly set to meet with her legal team to determine a way forward after President Cyril Ramaphosa filed an interdict application to halt Parliament’s impeachment process relating to the Phala Phala scandal.
Visit esporist.com for more information.
On Friday, 12 June 2026, Ramaphosa filed an interdict application in the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town, seeking to prevent the start of an impeachment inquiry until his separate review challenge against the Section 89 independent panel’s report has been finalised.
Didiza declines Ramaphosa request
The move follows an earlier attempt by Ramaphosa’s legal team to persuade Didiza to suspend the process.
His lawyers, in a letter dated 3 June, requested a pause on the inquiry – a request the speaker reportedly declined.
In parallel, the president is seeking to overturn the findings of the Section 89 panel, chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo.
The panel previously concluded that Rmaphosa has questions to answer regarding the theft of approximately $580 000 (about R9.6 million) from his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in February 2020.
The high court has scheduled the review application to be heard between 2 and 4 September, with opposing parties required to file notices of motion by 7 July.
Political and institutional tensions emerge
The legal battle has placed Didiza at crossroads.
The speaker now faces the difficult decision of whether to oppose both Ramaphosa’s interdict and review applications, potentially putting her at odds with her fellow ANC member.
According to the Sunday Times, some members within the ANC are concerned that Didiza is not handling the issue in a sufficiently political manner.
This concern arises in light of her decision to decline the president’s request, particularly given the potential implications an impeachment process could have for the party.
“Many expected her to give the president space while the legal process unfolds.
“Instead, she appears to be approaching this from an institutional and parliamentary perspective,” a source told the publication.
Amid the uncertainty, Parliament’s legal representatives are reportedly expected to meet to decide on the best course of action and advise Didiza on how to respond to the unfolding situation.
Ramaphosa warns of premature Phala Phala impeachment inquiry
In his court papers, Ramaphosa maintained that urgent intervention is necessary.
He argued that without the interdict, the impeachment committee could begin its work before the courts have had an opportunity to rule on the validity of the panel’s findings.
The legal developments follow a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling in May, which found that Parliament had acted unlawfully when it blocked impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa in December 2022.
As a result, the National Assembly was compelled to establish a formal impeachment committee to investigate the allegations further.
The committee – made up of 31 MPs from 16 political parties – is chaired by Rise Mzansi’s chief organiser, Makashule Gana.
Meanwhile, a motion of no confidence brought forward by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) was rejected by Didiza following the ConCourt judgment.