The Constitutional Court’s decision to temporarily halt Parliament’s impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa has been described as a move that protects due process while allowing legal questions surrounding the case to be resolved first.
Speaking to VOC News, Executive Secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC), Lawson Naidoo said the majority of judges agreed that the President could suffer “irreparable harm” if the impeachment process continued before the review of the independent panel’s report had been concluded.
“The court accepted the President’s argument that it would be in the interests of justice to pause the parliamentary inquiry until the review application has been decided,” Naidoo explained.
He said the ruling only affects the public hearings of the impeachment process, meaning Parliament’s impeachment committee may continue with administrative work, including appointing evidence leaders and finalising its terms of reference.
Naidoo noted that the review application will be heard in the Western Cape High Court from 2 to 4 September, where Ramaphosa will challenge the validity of the independent panel’s report. The President argues that the panel relied on the wrong legal test and considered evidence that should not have formed part of its findings.
Despite the delay, Naidoo believes the judgment reinforces South Africa’s constitutional framework.
“It demonstrates that disputes of this nature are resolved through the courts in accordance with the rule of law. That ultimately strengthens our constitutional democracy,” he said.
He added that the ruling should not be interpreted as setting a precedent for future impeachment proceedings, stressing that every application for an urgent interdict must be decided on its own facts and legal merits.
Photo: X/ @PresidencyZA
