President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will not resign following last week’s Constitutional Court judgment relating to the Phala Phala matter, confirming instead that he will take the independent panel’s report on review.
Addressing the nation on Monday evening from the Union Buildings in Tshwane, Ramaphosa said he respects the Constitutional Court’s ruling and remains committed to the Constitution, the judiciary and the rule of law.
The Constitutional Court ruled that aspects of Parliament’s Section 89 impeachment rules were unconstitutional and ordered that the independent panel’s report on the Phala Phala matter be referred to an impeachment committee.
The panel had previously found that there was prima facie evidence suggesting the President may have committed serious misconduct and violated the Constitution in relation to the 2020 theft at his Phala Phala farm.
Ramaphosa, however, maintains that he has committed no crime and insists the panel’s findings are flawed. He said he had originally intended to challenge the report in court in 2022, but did not proceed after Parliament voted against establishing an impeachment inquiry at the time.
“With the Constitutional Court judgment now giving the report legal consequence once again, I have decided to proceed with a review application,” Ramaphosa said.
He stressed that the Constitutional Court did not make any findings on his alleged conduct and said there was no constitutional obligation for him to resign.
“I therefore respectfully want to make it clear that I will not resign,” he said.
Ramaphosa added that resigning now would undermine ongoing efforts to rebuild state institutions, fight corruption and stabilise the country during a difficult economic period.
The President said he intends to continue serving the country and complete his mandate while cooperating with all legal and parliamentary processes.
