South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced he will not resign following a Constitutional Court ruling tied to the impeachment process over the Phala Phala scandal, and will instead mount a legal challenge against the independent panel’s report.
In a public address, Ramaphosa confirmed that he has decided to approach the courts to take the independent panel’s report on review, acting on advice from his legal team. He argued that the report is “capable of being reviewed by a court of law on several grounds, including the misconception of its mandate, grave errors of law and unfounded conclusions of fact.”
Ramaphosa noted that a National Assembly vote in 2022 had previously stopped the process of further examination through a review, rendering the report without “practical or legal consequence” at the time. However, he said he reserved his right to institute review proceedings should circumstances change.
Following last week’s Constitutional Court judgment, Ramaphosa explained, the report now carries legal consequence and “stands to be placed before the impeachment committee.” He cited the court’s ruling that the panel’s recommendation to proceed with an impeachment inquiry must be implemented “unless and until the report is set aside on review.”
The president stressed that he is proceeding with the review “on an expeditious basis,” not out of disrespect for Parliament, but “to affirm the need for such findings to be correct in law and in fact.” He added that he acts out of respect for the Constitutional Court judgment and the principles of judicial review it reinforces.
Addressing calls for his resignation directly, Ramaphosa stated: “Nothing in the constitutional court judgment compels me to resign my office. The constitutional court made no finding of any kind regarding my alleged conduct. The court made no finding on whether there was prima facie evidence of misconduct nor if the alleged conduct if established justifies impeachment.”
He declared firmly: “I will not resign.” Resigning now, he said, would “preempt a process defined by the constitution,” “give credence to a panel report that unfortunately has grave flaws,” “abdicate the responsibility that I assumed when I became president,” and “give in to those who seek to reverse the renewal of our society.”
Ramaphosa reaffirmed his commitment to continuing to serve the people of South Africa, citing progress made over the past eight years in rebuilding public institutions, recovering stolen funds, prosecuting alleged perpetrators, and implementing the recommendations of the state capture commission. He also noted ongoing efforts to fight organized crime, kidnapping, gang violence, and corruption within law enforcement and security services.
“I remain here and not resigning,” Ramaphosa concluded.
