The Democratic Alliance has described President Cyril Ramaphosa’s bid to review the Section 89 panel report as “embarrassing” for South Africa, warning that the legal challenge must not become a tactic to shield the president or paralyze Parliament’s impeachment work.
DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau said the party’s relationship with the African National Congress (ANC) within the Government of National Unity (GNU) will not stop them from fighting for accountability.
“We can’t have another Jacob Zuma era of years of evading accountability and using the judicial system to do so,” Khakhau said. “Everything must happen with haste.”
While acknowledging that Ramaphosa has the constitutional right to seek court review, Khakhau cautioned against using that right to abuse Parliament’s mandate to hold him accountable. The DA has called on Parliament to obtain a legal review of how the president’s court action affects legislative proceedings.
“The people of our country deserve clarity, and they deserve it now,” Khakhau said, adding that confusion around the Phala Phala matter cannot extend beyond 2026 into 2027.
The spokesperson emphasized that the DA’s “appetite is very large” to see the impeachment process through, stressing that the party remains anchored on accountability, transparency, anti-corruption, and the rule of law. Khakhau called for all political parties to send their proportional share of representatives to the impeachment committee.
Describing the situation as a “mess” the ANC created in 2022, Khakhau said it is embarrassing for any country to have conversations about how compromised the head of state is, as it tampers with investor confidence and makes South Africa “look bad against our counterparts.”
“There is nobody in South Africa who’s above the law,” Khakhau said. “If people are guilty, people must go to jail. Guilty people who commit crimes do not belong in government. They 100% belong in jail.”
The DA spokesperson dismissed concerns about a leadership vacuum following potential impeachment, saying the party has “a fresh crop of leadership” ready to serve. Khakhau also clarified that Ramaphosa resigning “would have been a copout,” arguing that the truth will only be found through the full impeachment process.
“Our relationship with the ANC in the GNU will certainly not deter the Democratic Alliance’s spirit of accountability,” Khakhau said, pointing to the party’s recent fights against the ANC over the VAT case and the former minister of higher education. “We will never be a party that shields corruption, that shields wrongdoing, and that looks the other way for political convenience.”
