ANC slams ‘parallel process’ after ConCourt blocks Ramaphosa impeachment appeal | The Citizen

The ANC has raised alarm over what it calls a “parallel process” by Parliament’s Impeachment Committee, warning that preparations for the Section 89 inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa risk undermining judicial proceedings still before the Western Cape High Court.

Ramaphosa faces impeachment over the fallout from the 2020 Phala Phala scandal, when more than half a million US dollars was stolen from his game farm and allegedly concealed by his security detail.

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday, 12 January 2026, dismissed an urgent bid to appeal the Western Cape High Court ruling that halted Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala impeachment inquiry, refusing direct access and declining leave to appeal.

The ANC maintains it remains concerned that the continuation of parallel processes may cause “unnecessary duplication, procedural confusion and wasteful expenditure.”

“A matter of such constitutional importance must not be rushed through the mechanical use of a numerical majority. It requires an inclusive, deliberative and fair process that respects the participation of all parties represented in Parliament.”

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has called on Parliament to devote equal urgency to the material challenges facing South Africans, including the rising cost of living and preparedness for severe weather conditions.

The ConCourt’s refusal to grant direct access to leave to appeal the interim interdict shielding Ramaphosa has drawn sharp criticism from both the MK party and the EFF, who warn that the ruling risks weakening Parliament’s constitutional oversight powers and delaying accountability.

MK party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu said the decision underscored growing unease about accountability in South Africa’s democratic system.

“While we respect the authority of our courts, this decision reinforces growing public concern about a system that appears increasingly reluctant to hold those in power to account,” Mahlangu stated.

The EFF echoed this sentiment, expressing disappointment at the Constitutional Court’s refusal to hear the matter directly.

It argued that the Court’s reasoning – that the review application in the Western Cape High Court is “imminent” – was flawed.

Several political parties, including the ATM, EFF, United Africans Transformation and MK party, had approached the ConCourt seeking to overturn the Western Cape High Court’s decision granting Ramaphosa an interdict.

As a result, the decision halted the public hearings of Parliament’s impeachment committee, pending the president’s review application against a Section 89 independent panel report.

Ramaphosa wants to overturn the panel’s findings after it concluded that he 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 review is set to be heard by the Western Cape High Court from 2 to 4 September.