CAPE TOWN – President Cyril Ramaphosa has lodged a formal application in the Western Cape High Court to review the Phala Phala Independent Panel report.
In the 63-page application lodged on Tuesday, Ramaphosa has asked the court to review and set aside the report, particularly its recommendation in paragraph 264.
In late 2022, an independent panel appointed by the National Assembly – led by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo concluded in paragraph 264 that the information presented disclosed prima facie evidence that Ramaphosa may have: committed a serious violation of the Constitution and exposed himself to a conflict of interest between his official duties and private business.
However, in the court papers, Ramaphosa argues the independent panel misunderstood its mandate in at least four respects and misconstrued what it was supposed to conduct.
He says the panel made conclusions based on hearsay statements, without regard to the law.
“Save for the limited evidence I introduced in my response, there was no evidence before the panel,” Ramaphosa said in court papers.
He also suggests the panel may have acquired a confidential Namibian police report and audio clip illegally. In that, Ramaphosa points the finger at former spy boss Arthur Fraser, who initially exposed the theft at the farm.
The President claims Fraser's allegations were based on speculation, fiction and conjecture.
Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court ruled that the National Assembly acted unlawfully when it voted against adopting the panel report, which now forms the basis of the impeachment process.