Overview
- The Western Cape High Court granted an interim interdict that stops the impeachment committee from holding public hearings while it considers President Cyril Ramaphosa’s challenge to the Section 89 panel report.
- The ruling, delivered on July 24, 2026, consisted of three separate judgments with a majority granting limited relief that pauses public sessions pending a full review of the panel’s work.
- The Section 89 independent panel found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer over about $580,000 stolen from his Phala Phala farm and Ramaphosa denies wrongdoing, saying the cash came from buffalo sales.
- Ramaphosa’s formal review application is scheduled for a September 2–4 hearing and the interim order leaves unclear which non-public or preparatory committee tasks may continue before that date.
- The decision has split political parties, with opponents calling it a delay to accountability and the ANC defending the president’s right to seek judicial relief, raising broader questions about court intervention in parliamentary oversight.