PRETORIA — The MK Party has officially joined a multi-party Constitutional Court bid to revive the impeachment process against President Cyril Ramaphosa, throwing its support behind an urgent legal challenge to overturn an interim interdict that recently halted parliamentary proceedings over the Phala Phala matter.
The MK Party, alongside the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the United African Transformation (UAT), is joining the African Transformation Movement’s (ATM) existing application as a co-applicant. The coalition is urging the Constitutional Court to set aside the lower court’s ruling and allow Parliament’s impeachment committee to resume its work.
MK Party spokesperson Andile Mngxitama explained that the party is not launching a separate legal challenge, but rather aligning with the ATM’s application based on sound legal principles centered on accountability. Mngxitama expressed deep disappointment over the interim interdict, arguing that the judiciary has protected Ramaphosa for too long. He pointed to past judicial decisions, notably the concealment of the identities of donors who funded Ramaphosa’s presidential campaign within the ANC, as part of a continuing pattern.
The recent interdict was reportedly granted after Ramaphosa’s legal team argued that appearing before the impeachment committee would negatively affect his reputation. Mngxitama strongly rejected this reasoning, stating that it is shocking for a court to accept that accountability equates to reputational harm. He emphasized that “citizen number one” must subject himself to public scrutiny and a public hearing to clarify whether any wrongdoing occurred on the farm.
Mngxitama outlined severe allegations surrounding the incident, describing elements of a “mafia type of a state.” He claimed that state institutions were allegedly used as a private militia to chase stolen money, and that individuals were abducted outside of the country. He further questioned the origins of the massive sums of cash involved, noting it is illegal for a private citizen to hold such amounts, and highlighted unresolved questions about whether the money entered the country via the Limpopo River or OR Tambo International Airport.
The MK Party also stressed that the lower court’s decision to grant the interdict directly contradicts a Constitutional Court order from May, which had already directed Parliament to refer the matter to the panel reports. Mngxitama warned that allowing a lower court to overturn the highest court in the land is unprecedented and actively undermines the integrity of the judiciary.
With the president’s review of the panel report currently scheduled for early September, Mngxitama cautioned that a six-week delay plays directly into Ramaphosa’s alleged strategy. He argued the goal is to drag the litigation out until the end of Ramaphosa’s presidential term, which would render any future accountability efforts an “academic exercise” without real consequence.
Addressing critics who claim opposition parties are using the case for political point-scoring, Mngxitama dismissed the notion as unfortunate. He reminded the public that Ramaphosa came into office on a mandate to fight corruption and must therefore respect the rule of law. The MK Party insists that Ramaphosa should be the first witness to appear before the impeachment committee to explain the presence of the money, as well as the alleged torture and cross-border abductions.
Mngxitama concluded that if the president can provide a sound and acceptable explanation for these events, he will be “scot-free,” but insisted that hiding behind the judiciary is no longer a viable option for a leader who must answer to the public.
